
Class " BF LCAI 
Book TT4 5 



GUPghtW. 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



THE REALITY 



AND 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM 



OR 



THE IDENTITY OF SPIRIT AND MIND, AND 

THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN SPIRIT 

AND SOUL. 



A WORK IN WHICH SPIRITUALISM IS DISCUSSED IN THE 

LIGHT OF THE SCRIPTURES, THE SCIENCES 

AND PROFANE HISTORY. 



BY 

MINA THOMAS, 
ST. LOUIS, MO. 



ST. LOI/I&:: 

PUBLISHED BY THE THOMAS LIBRARY CO. 
I903. 



1% mm 

Cobvowsmt b»«twv 

P~ot i><\- > 4o i 

CLASS ^-XXo, No. 

7 / s- o xT 

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7i 



COPYRIGHT 1903 

BY ^/^ir*^^-* 



^*-^&-v^^*-*-w 



Entered at Stationers' Hall, London, England, 1903. 



L 



IN GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF HER MOTHERLY 
KINDNESS THIS BOOK IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED 
TO "AUNT" MARY BLACKWOOD OF LA GRANGE, MO. 

THE AUTHOR. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

PAGE 13. 

The School of Natural Development. 

A knowledge of an Intermediate state as old as man himself — 
Monotheism man's first religion — Spiritualism one of the daughters 
of the Theory of Development — The Advent of Spiritualism one of 
the surest signs of National decline — The origin is alone explain- 
able by the Theory of Development, or by the teachings of Divine 
Creation — The folly of attempting to confuse the teachings of these 
opposing schools — Darwin not a consistent evolutionist — We must 
either acknowledge a God or dispense with one entirely — Spiritual- 
ism a mixture of Scripture and Atheism — Haeckel's views of Matter 
— The most ancient ancestors of man and all other organisms — 
The monera — From the monera to speechless man — The "missing 
link" — Genuine men developed out of Ape-like men — Development 
of Articulate Language — Differentiation of the Larynx and the 
Brain — Science finds r.o evidence of the existence of speechless 
Man — The resemblance between the lowest wooly-haired men and 
the highest man-like Apes — Haeckel's description of Speechless 
man — The process of fertilization — The Evolutionist makes no dis- 
tinction between mind and soul — Insists that man is simply a highly 
developed Ape and not capable of obtaining immortality — The Evo- 
lutionist regards religion as a worthless superstition — Sir John 
Lubbock's explanation of the origin of religion — The first great 
stages in Religious thought — Atheism — Fetichism — Nature Worship 
or Totemism — Shamanism — Idolatry or, Anthropomorphism — Mono- 
theism. 



ii CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER II. 
PAGE 24. 

The School of Divine Creation. 

The Creation of the heaven and the earth — The earth without 
form and void — The introduction of light — The Day and the Night — 
The first day — The Firmament — The division of the Waters — The 
Firmament called heaven — The waters under the heaven gathered 
into one place — The dry land appears — The dry land called Earth — 
The gathered waters called Seas — The introduction of plant life — 
The lights in the firmament of heaven — The introduction of Animal 
life — The fish and the fowl — The introduction of the land animals — 
The Creation of man — Man given dominion over the earth and the 
animals — The Garden of Eden, etc. 

CHAPTER III. 
PAGE 29. 

The Teachings of Spiritualism. 

The teachings of Spiritualism as presented by A. J. Davis — 
Davis and the geologists of Europe — Davis' account of the formation 
of the universe — "Let us make man" — The Attributes of Wisdom — 
Use, Justice, Power, Beauty, Aspiration and Harmony — The Universe 
organized for the purpose of developing man — The unpopularity of 
the philosophy which accounts for man's existence upon principles 
of progressive development — The most repulsive feature of this phil- 
osophy is the proposition that man came from the animal creation — 
Nature a vast and powerful organization — The Ultimate use of 
nature is to individualize and immortalize the human spiritual 
principle — Nature a magnificent machine — The Divine Mind, the 
Omnipotent Artisan — The Development of the first form of Animal 
Life — The Radiata, etc. — Minerals and Vegetables unfolded the Fish 
Kingdom — Fish Kingdom unfolded the Saurian — The Saurian un- 
folded the Bird Kingdom — The Birds unfolded the Marsupial King- 
dom — The Marsupial unfolded the Mammalia — The highest quad- 
rumana and the lowest of the human type — The development of 
Man — Man's innate tendency onward toward perfection — Man a 
coronation of universal nature — The anatomical and physiological 
laws — The Diagram illustrates the true order of Nature's physical 
developments — The eternal mind — The principles of Association, 
Progression and Development — Spiritualism does not belong to 
either of the two schools of learning; nor is it a school of learning 
in itself. 



CONTENTS. iii 

CHAPTER IV. 

PAGE 42. 

God and Nature. 

The high and superior state — The great sphere of knowledge — 
Mr. Davis derives no assistance from the reading of books — What 
is Mr. Davis' God — Mr. Davis undecided as to what he means by 
the term God — The Holy Artisan — The Divine Architect — Two great 
co-eternal principles mind and matter — No distinction between mind 
(or God) and matter (or Nature) — God is nature — Matter, is in all 
things and is all things — God, the Holy Artisan, etc., simply matter 
— Mr. Davis' failure to explain the origin of the universe without 
an intelligent Creator — Mr. Davis and Prof. Winchell's views of 
God compared — Diety proclaimed in the creation— Every effect im- 
plies intentionality — The universe an effect — The causal act implies 
Will — Will implies intelligence and sensibility — Will closes the cir- 
cuit of causation — -Will and sensibility the attributes of a personal 
existence — Mechanical structures not the result of development; 
but the expression of intelligence controlling matter — Haeckel on 
the eternity of matter — Hudson Tuttle on the eternity of matter — 
Spiritualism based on materialism — Matter not eternal — Prof. Max- 
well on the molecules of matter— We cannot flee from Deity — The 
world depends upon divine support — The atom floats in the breath 
of divine power — Science affirms the creative power — The Sciences 
sustain the Mosiac Record — What is a Creation and what forma- 
tion. 

CHAPTER V. 
PAGE 60. 

The Spiritualistic Theory as to the Origin of Minerals and Vege- 
tables. 

The universe the effect of certain laws governing matter — 
Atheists minutely explain the operation of their so-called laws — 
Spiritualists silent as to the operation of their laws of Association, 
Progression and Development — Similarity between LaPlace's Cen- 
tral Sun and Davis' Great Central Mind — The Nebular Hypothesis 
— Guyot on the Nebular Hypothesis — The Nebular Hypothesis op- 
posed to the Sciences — Patterson on the Nebular Hypothesis — Ball 
on the Nebular Hypothesis — Proctor on the Nebular Hypotheis — 
LaPlace's "distrust" of the Nebular Hypothesis — Speculation and 
conjecture not science — The ether the vehicle of light — LaPlace's 



iv CONTENTS. 

theory cannot explain this ether — LaPlace's gaseous rings — The 
sun never threw off this ether — Ether different in composition from 
the sun — Every Hypothesis is hound to explain the facts it proposes 
account for — LaPlace's central sun and Davis' great central mind 
opposed to the sciences and the scriptures — Davis' unequivical 
knowledge opposed to the teachings of the sciences and the Bible 
— Science disproves Mr. Davis' theory that the planets developed 
the minerals — The constituents of rocks are minerals — That the 
planets developed the minerals is opposed to the scriptures — Gun- 
ning on the minerals — The elements of plant life a part of the mat- 
ter creation — Davis' explanation as to the origin of minerals and 
vegetables opposed to sciences, scripture, reason, etc. 

CHAPTER VI. 
PAGE 84. 

The "Unfolding of the Animal Kingdom," or The Transmutation 

of Species. 

Davis' account of the origin of animal life — Vegetables and 
minerals are supposed to unite and form the fish kingdom— Davis 
unable to agree with himself as to what was the anticedents of the 
animals — The Sciences prove the fallacy of Davis' teaching that 
vegetables "lose" themselves in animal life — The vegetable and 
animal kingdoms the opposite parts of one system of life — Dana 
plainly demonstrates the impossibility of the vegetables developing 
into animals — Opposites can not spring one from the other — Min- 
erals did not develop with vegetables — Minerals and vegetables 
did not develop the first form of animal life — How can life exist 
in inorganic matter — Davis not only attributes life to the minerals 
but they are actually engaged in generating many elements of life 
and vitality — This is opposed to all scientific research — Dawson 
on the flora of our globe — The first form of animal life made 
its appearance ages prior to the carboniferous period — The highest 
forms of vegetables, the fruit bearing trees, did not appear until 
long after the introduction of animal life — Fruit trees and land 
plants could not develop into the first form of animal life, water 
animals — The first form of animal life followed not the highest 
but lowest forms of vegetation and both appear in the archean 
period — Plant life and animal life identical— What distinguishes the 
animal from the plant — Animals are conscious of an outer world 
— Consciousness proof of the animal's possession of mind — Mind 
distinguishes the animal from the plant — School of Development 
cannot explain the origin of mind — The School of Creation alone 



CONTENTS. v 

explains the origin of mind — We deny the existence of the law of 
Association, Progression and Development — Science proves that the 
"lower kingdoms" did not develop into higher — Scientists are unable 
to discover transitional forms — Mivart on transmutation of species 
— Winchell on the transmutation of species — Patterson on the ab- 
sence of transitional forms — The same evidence that "squashes" 
Darwin's theory of development squashes Davis' unfolding of king- 
dom — The geological record of life on our earth contradicts Davis' 
"unequivical knowledge" — Davis on the origin of man — Davis like 
all evolutionists teaches that the quadrumana developed into man 
— Science proves that there is not, nor never was, a quadrumana — 
This exploded theory taught in every school of today — Huxley on the 
quadrumana — The ape a biped — Impossibility of the quadruped 
developing into a biped — Man created in the image of God. 



CHAPTER VII. 

PAGE 111. 

Mind Common to Man and the Animals. 

The absurdity of supposing that animal intelligence due solely 
to instinct, and that man alone possesses mind — The mind of man 
and the mind of the animal differs only in degree — The intellectual 
and moral faculties of man and the animal can be traced in a 
similar manner — Love, Rage, Shame, Pride, Reason, etc., are all 
characteristics of the mind and are common to man and the animals 
— Hypnotism a mental process — The three schools of hypnotism — 
Animals can be hypnotised. 

CHAPTER VIII. 
PAGE 135. 

Identity of Spirit and Mind. 

Matter, Mind and Soul distinct substances — Modern theologians 
and spiritualists use the terms spirit, mind and soul synonymously 
— Soul and mind distinct — Soul and Spirit distinct — Spirit and Mind 
identical — The attributes of spirit and mind the same — Bible proof 
of the identity of spirit and mind, and the distinction between spirit 
or mind and soul — Pride, Humility, Sorrow, Faith, Anguish, etc., 
which are characteristics of the mind, are also characteristics of 
the spirit, and show the identity of spirit and mind. 



vi CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER IX. 
PAGE 146. 

What is Soul, and is it Immortal? 

Davis on the immortality of the soul — Three kinds of belief and 
their influences — Davis says the immortality of the soul rests upon 
the eternity of matter — The immortality of the soul in nowise de- 
pends upon the eternity of matter — The marriage between the cere- 
brum and cerebellum — There are children born among all races 
of men being defective in their mental structure, never reach the 
equinoctial line that separates the animal from the human — Davis 
a very erratic writer; he is peculiar in that he can not agree even 
with himself; does not consider himself bound by any previous 
statement — No materialist would attempt to evolve immortality 
from mere matter; this absurdity is left for the Spiritualistic evolu- 
tionist — Spiritualism demonstrates that the mind does not perish 
with the body — Spiritualism proves the falsity of materialism — 
The first man did not possess immortality — Some are born im- 
mortal, some may attain immortality; and some are wholly lacking 
— The absurdity of supposing that immortality depends upon a 
greater or less amount of intelligence — Tuttle on spirit — The basis of 
Tuttle's argument is wrong — Edmond's is nearer right — The soul 
a part of the substance of God — Immortality not inherent in the 
soul — The term immortal soul of spiritualistic origin — Immortality 
must be acquired — Man must seek eternal life — Bible proof that 
immortality can only be acquired by a life of righteousness — No 
scriptural support for the belief of the inherent immortality of the 
soul — The Bible disproves the spiritualistic teaching of soul devel- 
opment. 

CHAPTER X. 

PAGE 163. 

Man a Trinity. 

Davis says spirit and matter are the same identical substance 
— Davis regards soul, spirit and mind as unqualifiedly synonymous — 
Davis regards man as composed of only one substance, matter — 
Edmonds says man is a duality — Ambler says man is composed 
of two substances, but he shows that there is a third, which he 
terms that "internal soul of the spirit" — Spiritualists disagree among 
themselves as to whether man is composed of one or more sub- 
stances — Spiritualists also disagree with all ancient philosophers 
and many of the moderns who regard man as a trinity — Carroll on 
the three creations — The Bible teaches that man is a trinity. 



CONTENTS. vii 

CHAPTER. XI. 

PAGE 171. 
Reproduction. 

Edmonds on the reproduction of the spirit — Ambler on the repro- 
duction of the spirit — The immortal germ — No power in the uni- 
verse by which the spirit can be destroyed — The first introduction 
of the germ of the spirit — Beauty of the spirit depends upon this 
germ — The first element transmitted is the interior germ of the 
spirit — The information of the spirits not entirely correct — Carroll 
on the reproduction of "the three creations" — Ambler on death — 
The death of the body is the birth of the spirit — Davis on death 
—The soul will preserve its identity after death — There is no death 
— Davis' description of the birth of a spirit — There is a physical 
body and a spiritual body — The mind survives physical dissolution 
— Man possesses a trinity of lives. 

CHAPTER XII. 
PAGE 196. 

The Intermediate State. 

The spirit not immortal — Departed spirits not denizens of eter- 
nity — Nothing supernatural in the manifestations of departed spirits 
— Being mortal the spirit requires a natural home — The interme- 
diate state known to the ancients — The Bible teaches the existence 
of an intermediate state — Ambler on the home of departed spirits 
— Edmonds on the condition and location of spirit-land — Davis on 
the spirit-land — Holcombe on the home of the spirits — The con- 
flicting descriptions of spirit-land as given by Ambler, Edmonds, 
Davis and Holcombe — God created the intermediate state — Bible 
teaches the existence of an intermediate state — After His crucific- 
tion Jesus went to this intermediate state — What Jesus did while 
in the intermediate state — Prison a place of detention, not hell — 
Paradise a part of spirit-land — Hades a part of spirit-land — Hell 
not a place of eternal punishment — Neither paradise nor hades will 
survive the end of time — Separate places of abode in spirit-land for 
good and evil spirits — Stephen's prayer — How Protestants lost a 
knowledge of the intermediate state — Catholics have a knowledge 
of the intermediate state — The intermediate state not a preparatory 
place — The earth the preparatory place — Holcombe's description 
of a judgment more nearly resembles a transformation — Spirits lose 



viii CONTENTS. 

all knowledge of the earth and their associates; this is equivalent 
to annihilation — The place of departed spirits almost an infinite 
world — The mind or spirit will perish with all that is material — 
The Soul alone will stand forth before God to be judged — The warn- 
ing given Adam could not mean physical or mental death — The 
Bible teaches that "The soul that sinneth, it shall die" — David 
realized that his soul could die — Soul's conditional immortality; it 
will merit either eternal life or death — Catholic, Protestant and 
Spiritualist make no distinction between mind, spirit and soul — 
Mind as mortal as the body it survives — The judgment as recorded 
in Revelation — The inherent immortality of the soul is an error — 
The doctrine of eternal punishment is an error — There is no place 
where eternal punishment is inflicted upon the wicked — The "lake 
of fire" is the result of the general conflagration described in Reve- 
lation — Revelation teaches all will be judged according to their 
works — All things material will perish; spirit-land, paradise, hell 
and even death — Nothing survive save God and those whose names 
are "written in the book of life" — Eternal death a punishment suffi- 
cient to satisfy even an outraged God. 



CHAPTER XIII. 
PAGE 232. 

Contradictions. 

i Spiritualists claim to derive their information from the "Foun- 
tain Head of All Knowledge" — There should be no disagreements in 
the teachings of spiritualists — Discord prevails in the teaching of 
spiritualists — Spiritualists contradict the Bible — Moses Hull's at- 
tempts to twist and distort the teachings of the Scriptures — Evi- 
dence of the attempt of Moses Hull to degrade the utterances . of 
inspired writers to the level of the teachings of the mediums of our 
day — Moses Hull a mere reader, not a student of the Bible — No 
discrepances in the Bible— The first chapter of Genesis a condensed 
account of creation — The second chapter of Genesis a more detailed 
account of creation — The elements of plant and animal life a part 
of the matter creation — Man's physical organism composed of mat- 
ter — Man a living soul — A considerable period between the creation 
of man and that of woman — Man assigned to a fixed place of abode 
and a definite task — The Garden of Eden — The origin of domestic 
plants — Irrigation began in the Garden of Eden — The Bible sus- 
tained by the sciences- — Conflict between the sciences and the the- 



CONTENTS. ix 

ory of development — Lectures by two spirits supposed to be Bacon 
and Swedenborg, through the mediumship of Edmonds and Dr. 
Dexter, on the plan of creation — These lectures in opposition to the 
Bible — Davis on the revelations of the Bible — Biblical authority is 
overthrown by thousands of "equally good revelations daily made 
to us" — Davis gives nine reasons why spirit communications are 
unreliable — The chief cause of contradiction between spirits — 
Davis states the difference between his teachings and those of 
Jesus Christ — Proof of Davis' error — Such scientists as Professors 
Dana, Guyot, Dawson, Pierce, Sillman, and Maury all declare in 
favor of the Bible — Carroll compares the teachings of the Bible 
with those of ancient philosophers — Such statesmen as Buke, Pitt, 
Washington, the Adamses, Webster, Davis, Gladstone, etc., regarded 
the Bible as the highest authority — Such jurists as Grotins, Montes- 
quien, Selden, Blackstone, Marshall, Somers, Story, Kent, etc., re- 
garded the Bible as the court of ultimate appeal — Davis' charge that 
Jesus did not debate disproved — Edmonds himself annoyed by the 
conflicting statements of spirits — Mediums not certain of the source 
of their information— Proof that spirit communications are unre- 
liable and contradictory — Spirit contradictions concerning Christ. 



CHAPTER XIV. 
PAGE 262. 

Contradictions Continued. 

Contradictions among spirits as to the existence of evil spirits 
and hell — Ambler's spirit informants say there are no "evil spirits" 
— Hull says, there are evil spirits — Davis' not "evil" but "misdi- 
rected" spirits — Edmond declares in favor of the existence of evil 
spirits and hell — Place of evil spirits far below the earth — Dark 
spirits do progress — Edmonds' hell a progressive hell — Holcombe's 
a retrogressive hell — Hell the heaven of evil spirits — There were 
no angels that fell from heaven and became devils — All angels and 
all devils once men or women — God the sole life of the universe; 
does not create life but gives it — Hell and heaven organic states 
of the soul — Love the life of heaven, hatred the life of hell — The 
miseries of hell — The new church — No times and spaces in the 
spiritual world — The doctrine of evil spirits as old as spiritualism 
itself — The Bible teaches that there are good and evil spirits. 



x CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XV. 

PAGE 279. 

Ancient India. 

No limit to the credulity of mankind — The mythologies or the 
fabulous histories of the gods of the heathens— In what have we 
displayed our superiority to the ancients — The deceptions prac- 
ticed by spiritualistic leaders in attempting to explain the origin of 
things — But little excuse for the laity — Spiritualism not a religion 
—Death of the body is simply the birth of the spirit — To the spirit- 
ualist nothing beyond spirit-land — Should not mourn the death of 
our loved ones — Nothing to fear but much to love in the natural 
death — The misconceptions of the intermediate state — The mind 
survives the death of the body — Mental characteristics survive the 
death of the body — Mediums express the opinions of their spirit 
controls — Bible teaches the reality of spiritualism — Spiritualists re- 
gard Jesus Christ merely as a great medium — Christ never appealed 
to spirits for aid as spiritualists do, but relied on His heavenly Father 
— Bible treats spiritualism as a great evil — God forbade the prac- 
tices of spiritualism in Israel — Evidence of God's abhorence of a 
medium or one having a familiar spirit — The penalty of death vis- 
ited upon the mediums, etc. — The deceptiveness, worthlessness, and 
criminality of spiritualism — Why spiritualists deny a personal God 
— The spirit or mind will live until the end of time — The final death 
of the sprit or mind — The soul survives the death of the spirit or 
mind — Evidence that the spiritualists are dealing with the mind or 
spirit and not the soul — Animals in spirit-land — If the animal pos- 
sessed articulate speech we could communicate with its departed 
spirit or mind — A talking animal would make as good a medium as 
a person — Tuttle on matter and spirit — Moses Hull on the growth 
of modern spiritualism — The facts contradict Moses Hull — The 
spiritualism of India — Hudson on the adepts of India — Hudson mis- 
took the meaning of the adept — Jacolliot on the fakirs of India — 
Modern spiritualism has no schools of training, no ceremonies, no 
forms of evocation, etc.; its mediums the result of chance — Spirit- 
ualism in India has its schools of learning — Spiritualism in India 
almost a science — The Brahmin lord of all creation — Everything the 
world contains the Brahmin's — It is through the Brahmin's gener- 
osity that other men enjoy the goods of this world — The origin of 
the doctrine of divine right — For thousands of years the Brahmin's 
(priests) ruled without dispute — The kings or chiefs the agents of 
the Brahmin — The masses maintained the upper classes in idleness 
— The Brahmin's principal motive was the maintenance of their 



CONTENTS. xi 

temporal power — The chiefs with the aid of the people conquered 
the priests, and assumed the title of "lords of creation" — The chiefs 
said to the priests preach that we are the elect of God and we will 
give you all the wealth and privileges you desire — For twenty 
thousand years the people have never been able to break up that 
argument — Three degrees of initiation — The first degree included 
the Brahmins — The second degree included the exorcists, the sooth- 
sayers, the prophets, and the evocators of spirits — The Brahmins 
of the third degree had no direct relation with the people — Above 
the last degree was the supreme council under the presidency of 
the Brahmatma — The common people thought the Brahmatma im- 
mortal — The death of the Brahmatma — The ceremonies of initiation 
— The life and duties of the Brahmins — The Brahmatma ends his 
days in dissipation. 

CHAPTER XVI. 

PAGE 307. 

Manifestations. 

Mrs. Piper under "test" conditions — Wm. Hudson on spirit phe- 
nomena — Edward M. O'Connor on spirit phenomena — Dr. Rother- 
mel's seance — Mrs. Julia A. Dawley on spirit phenomena — Judge 
Reed on spirit communications. 

CHAPTER XVII. 

PAGE 330. 

Manifestations Continued. 

The conditions under which the fakir produces phenomena — 
The moving of the vase without visible means — The water spout — 
The magic stick — Phenomena of elevation and knocking — The bam- 
boo stool — The mysterious punkah — The stationary table — A shower 
of knocks — The little mill — Flying feathers — The harmonfiute — 
Sand drawing — The metor and the bucket of water — Mind reading 
— Reading in a closed book — The flying palm-leaf — Elevation of the 
fakir — Spontaneous vegetation — Apparitions. 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

PAGE 365. 

The Origin of Spiritualism. 

God revealed to Adam a knowledge of spiritualism — Adam 
transmitted his knowledge of spiritualism to his descendants — The 



xii CONTENTS. 

antidiluvians possessed a knowledge of spiritualism — India not the 
cradle of spiritualism — Noah possessed a knowledge of spiritualism 
— Noah transmitted a knowledge of spiritualism to his descendants 
— The Hindoos led into spiritualism by their priesthood — The priests 
taught monotheism among themselves — The oath administered to 
the initiates — Fetichism, Shamanism, etc., spiritualism in its decay 
— Spiritualism practiced by all nations of antiquity — All the old 
civilizations developed under montheism; their ruins show the dis- 
tructive influences of spiritualism — Monotheism the religion of 
Israel — God forbade the practice of spiritualism under penalty of 
death — The priests induce the Israelites to accept spiritualism — The 
Jewish cabala, its origin and practices, and its relation to the spirit- 
ualism of other countries — The cabalists brought upon Israel the 
punishment of God — Spiritualism stamped out of Israel — No trace 
of spiritualism in Jewish theology of today — Spiritualism destroyed 
the great nations of antiquity, and it will do the same for us. 



CHAPTER I. 
The School of Natural Development. 

To intelligently discuss spiritualism, or any subject, it 
is necessary to inquire into the causes, the circumstances that 
produced it. 

While we admit that a knowledge of an intermediate 
state is as. old as man himself yet, comparatively speaking, 
spiritualism, either as a religion or as a science, so called, 
is a thing of recent date. We are taught that in the be- 
ginning man was created a "little lower than the angels" 
and given as his religion monotheism, a belief in one God — 
the Creator of the universe ; but as man multiplied in num- 
bers, he also increased in wickedness and lived in open viola- 
tion of the laws of God, until his descendants finally became 
so depraved and corrupt as to renounce their God and their 
religion, monotheism, and accept in its place spiritualism, 
one of the daughters of the theory of Development. 

One of the surest signs of national decline is the ad- 
vent of spiritualism. For all history, both sacred and 
profane, of which we have any knowledge, teach that 
the great nations of antiquity attained their highest civ- 
ilization and refinement under the wholesome, elevating 
influences of monotheism; and that under the pernicious 
influence of spiritualism they became utterly depraved, 
and that finally under the curse of God they either 
descended to barbarism and savagery, as in the case of the 
Hindoos, Persians, etc., or were utterly destroyed from the 

13 



14 THE REALITY AND 

earth,, as in the case of the Chaldeans, etc. Thus as mono- 
theism stands for all that is elevating and ennobling, so 
Spiritualism stands for all that is corrupt and depraved. 

Two of the ablest and most radical thinkers of modern 
times, one an atheist, who stands for all that the theory of 
Development implies, the other a monotheist, who stands 
for Divine Creation and all that it implies, though repre- 
senting the extremes of these opposing beliefs, are agreed 
that the origin of the universe is alone explainable by the 
Theory of Natural Development or by its antithesis, the 
Scriptural teaching of Divine Creation, and that there is no 
third course. Mr. Carroll, who advocates the Doctrine of 
Creation, and regarded by many as the most accomplished 
Bible scholar of the age, says : 

"There are only two schools of learning which propose 
to explain the existence of the heavens and the earth with 
all their phenomena. These are (1) the Bible school of 
Divine Creation; (2) the Atheistic school of Evolution or 
Natural Development." (Tempter of Eve, p. 94.) 

The distinguished German naturalist, Prof. Haeckel, 
who advocates the theory of Natural Development, in dis- 
cussing the origin of animal life, says: "As is now very 
generally acknowledged, both by the adherents of and the 
opponents of the theory of descent, the choice, in the matter 
of the origin of the human race, lies between two radically 
different assumptions : We must either accustom ourselves 
to the idea that all the various species of animals and plants, 
man also included, originated independently of each other by 
the super-natural process of. a 'Divine Creation,' which, 
as such, is entirely removed from the sphere of scientific ob- 
servation — or we are compelled to accept the theory of de- 
scent in its entirety, and trace the human race, equally with 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 15 

the various animal and plant species, from an entirely 
simple primeval parent form. Between these two as- 
sumptions there is no third course." (The Evolution of 
Man, Vol. ii., pp. 36, 37.) 

This being true, it is folly to attempt to confuse the 
teachings of these opposing schools. In attempting to ex- 
plain the origin of things, we cannot consistently attribute 
the origin of a part of the phenomena of the universe to the 
intervention of a God and a part to evolution. To be con- 
sistent, we must attribute the origin of all things either to 
Divine Creation or to the theory of Natural Development. 
We must either attribute the origin of life to Divine Crea- 
tion or to Spontaneous Generation. 

While Darwin is generally recognized as a leading au- 
thority on the theory of Natural Development, he really 
belongs to neither school ; he is not a consistent evolutionist. 
Too intelligent to attempt to account for the origin of or- 
ganic life by spontaneous generation, he held that a few first 
forms owed their origin to Divine Creation, but insisted that 
evolution perfected them. That a man of Darwin's ability 
could so blunder and thus attempt to confuse the funda- 
mental teachings of these opposing schools, seems incredible, 
but he did. When he needed a God, he had one; when he 
fancied he could dispense with one, he laid Him aside. 
Either "God * * * made heaven and earth and the sea, 
and all things that are therein," and Divine Creation is cor- 
rect, or, He made nothing and Natural Development is cor- 
rect. We must either acknowledge a God or' dispense with 
one entirely, there is no middle course. This necessarily ap- 
plies to Spiritualism. As we will show in a following chap- 
ter, Spiritualism is very much like Darwinism, which 



16 THE REALITY AND 

at the same time has and has not a God. "O, consistency, 
thou art a jewel." 

In order to show that Spiritualism is a mixture of Scrip- 
ture and atheism, we will give a brief synopsis of the teach- 
ings of these two schools as presented by their leading ad- 
vocates. And while Professor Haeckel is audacious beyond 
belief, yet he is an out and out evolutionist, and at no time 
recognizes the existence of a God. Therefore, in presenting 
briefly the teachings of the theory of Development, we quote 
largely from him. In discussing matter, he says : "Natural 
science teaches that matter is eternal and imperishable, for 
experience has never shown us that even the smallest par- 
ticle of matter has come into existence or passed away. 
Where a natural body seems to disappear, as for example, 
by burning, decaying, evaporation, etc., it merely changes its 
form, its physical composition or chemical combination. In 
like manner- the coming into existence of a natural body, for 
example, of a crystal, a fungus, an infusorium, depends 
merely upon the different particles, which had before existed 
in a certain form or combination, assuming a new form or 
combination in consequence of changed conditons of exist- 
ence. But never yet has an instance been observed of even 
the smallest particle of matter having vanished, or even of 
an atom being added to the already existing mass. Hence, 
a naturalist can no more imagine the coming into existence 
of matter, than he can imagine its disappearance, and he 
therefore looks upon the existing quantity of matter in the 
universe as a given fact. If any person feels the necessity 
of conceiving the coming into existence of this matter as 
the work of a supernatural creative power, of the creative 
force of something outside of matter, we have nothing to 
say against it." (History of Creation, Vol. i., pp. 8, 9.) 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 17 

In discussing the origin of life, Prof. Haeckel says : "The 
most ancient ancestors of man, as of all other organisms, 
were living creatures of the simplest kind imaginable, organ- 
isms without organs, like the still living Monera. They con- 
sisted of simple, homogeneous, structureless and formless 
little lumps of mucous or albuminous matter (plasson), like 
the still living Protamceba primitiva. The form value of 
these most ancient ancestors of man was not even equal to 
that of a cell, but merely that of a cytod ; for, as in the case 
of all Monera, the little lump of protoplasm did not as yet 
possess a cell-kernel. The first of these Monera originated 
in the beginning of the Laurentian period by spontaneous 
generation, or archigomy, out of so-called inorganic combi- 
nations, namely, out of simple combinations of carbon, oxy- 
gen, hydrogen and nitrogen." {Ibid., Vol ii., p. 380.) 

The theory of development traces man on up from the 
Monera through twenty-four ancestral stages to speechless 
man, commonly termed the "missing link," regarding which, 
Prof. Haeckel says : "Although the preceding ancestral 
stage is already so nearly akin to genuine men, that we 
scarcely require to assume an intermediate connecting stage, 
still we can look upon the Speechless Primeval Men (alali) 
as this intermediate link. These Ape-like men, or Pithecan- 
thropi, very probably existed towards the end of the Tertiary 
period. They originated out of the Man-like Apes, or An- 
thropoids, by becoming completely habituated to an upright 
walk, and by the corresponding stronger differentiation of 
both pairs of legs. The forehand of Anthropoides became 
the human hand, their hinder hand became a foot for walk- 
ing. Although these Ape-like Men must, not merely by the 
external formation of their bodies, but also by their internal 
mental development, have been much more akin to real Men 



18 THE REALITY AND 

than the Man-like Apes could have been, yet they did not 
possess the real and chief characteristic of man, namely, the 
articulate human language of words, the corresponding de- 
velopment of a higher consciousness, and the formation of 
ideas. * * * * Genuine Men developed out of the Ape- 
like Men of the preceding stage by the gradual development 
of the animal language of sounds into a connected or ar- 
ticulate language of words. The development of this func- 
tion, of course, went had in hand with the 'development of 
its organs, namely, the higher differentiation of the larynx 
and the brain. The transition from speechless Ape-like Men 
to Genuine or Talking Men probably took place at the begin- 
ning of the Quaternary period, namely, in the Diluvial 
period, but possibly even at an earlier date, in the more re- 
cent Tertiary/' {Ibid., Vol. ii., pp. 398, 399.) 

Although science has found no evidence that such a crea- 
ture ever existed, yet Mr. Haeckel, with his accustomary 
boldness and out of his vivid imagination, proceeds to de- 
scribe this creature of his creation in the following lan- 
guage : "We as yet know of no fossil remains of the hypo- 
thetical primeval man. (Protanthropos atavus — Homo 
primi genius.) But considering the extraordinary resemb- 
lance between the lowest woolly-haired men, and the highest 
man-like apes, which still exist at the present day, it requires 
but a slight stretch of the imagination to conceive an in- 
termediate form connecting the two, and to see in it an ap- 
proximate likeness to the supposed primeval men, or ape- 
like men. The form of their skull was probably very long, 
with slanting teeth; their hair woolly; the colour of their 
skin dark, of a brownish tint. The hair covering the whole 
body was probably thicker than in any of the still living 
human species; their arms comparatively longer and 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 19 

stronger ; their legs, on the other hand, knock-kneed, shorter 
and thinner with entirely undeveloped calves, their walk 
half erect." {Ibid., Vol. ii., p. 438.) 

In still further discussing the theory of development, Mr. 
Haeckel writes: "Those processes of development which 
led to the origin of the most Ape-like Men out of the most 
Man-like Apes, must be looked for in the two adaptational 
changes which, above all others, contributed to the making 
of Man, namely, upright walk and articulate speech. These 
two physiological functions necessarily originated together 
with two corresponding morphological transmutations, with 
which they stand in the closest correlation, namely, the dif- 
ferentiation of the two pairs of limbs and the differentiation 
of the larynx. The important perfecting of these organs and 
their functions must have necessarily and powerfully reacted 
upon the differentiation of the brain and the mental activities 
dependent upon it, and thus have paved the way for the end- 
less career in which Man has since progressively developed, 
and in which he has far outstripped his animal ancestors. 

"The first and earliest of these three great processes in 
the development of the human organism probably was the 
higher differentiation and the perfecting of the extremities 
which was effected by the habit of an upright walk. By the 
fore-feet more and more exclusively adopting and retaining 
the function of grasping and handling and the hinder feet 
more and more exclusively the function of standing and 
walking, there was developed that contrast between the 
hand and foot which is indeed not exclusively characteristic 
of man, but which is much more strongly developed in him 
than in any of the apes most like men. This differentiation 
of the fore and hinder extremities, was, however, not merely 
most advantageous for their own development and perfect- 



20 THE REALITY AND 

ing, but it was followed at the same time by a whole series of 
very important changes in other parts of the body. The 
whole vertebral column, and more especially the chest, the 
girdle of the pelvis and shoulders, as also the muscles be- 
longing to them, thereby experienced those changes which 
distinguish the human body from that of the most man-like 
apes. These transmutations were probably accomplished 
long before the origin of articulate speech; and the human 
race thus existed for long, with an upright walk and the 
characteristic human form of body connected with it, before 
the actual development of human language, which would 
have completed the second and the more important part of 
human development. We may therefore distinguish a special 
(24th) stage in the series of our human ancestors, namely, 
Speechless Man (Alalus), or Ape-man (Pithecanthropus) , 
whose body was indeed formed exactly like that of man in 
all essential characteristics, but who did not as yet possess 
articulate speech. 

"The origin of articulate language, and the higher differ- 
entiation and perfecting of the larynx connected with it, must 
be looked upon as a later,' and the most important stage in the 
process of the development of Man. It was, doubtless, this 
process which above all others helped to create the deep 
chasm between man and animals, and which also first caused 
the most important progress in the mental activity and the 
perfecting of the brain connected with it." (Ibid,, Vol. ii., 
pp. 405, 406, 407.) 

Concerning the development of the brain, Mr. Haeckel 
writes : "With regard to the human 'soul organ/ the brain, 
the application of the fundamental law of biogeny has been 
finally established by the most careful empiric observations. 
The same may be said of its functions, the 'activity of the 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 21 

soul.' For the development of a function goes hand in hand 
with the gradual development of every organ. The morpho- 
logical differentiation of the various parts of the brain, cor- 
responds with its physiological separation or 'division of 
labour.' Hence, what is commonly termed the 'soul' or 'mind' 
of man (consciousness included), is merely the sum total of 
the activities of a large number of nerve-cells, the ganglia- 
cells, of which the brain is composed. Where the normal 
arrangement and function of these latter does not exist it is 
impossible to conceive of a healthy 'soul.' This idea, which 
is one of the most important' principles of our modern exact 
physiology, is certainly not compatible with the widespread 
belief in the personal immortality of man. * * * We 
now know for certain, and can demonstrate the fact at any 
moment under the microscope, that the wonderful process of 
fertilization is nothing more than the commingling of two 
different cells, the copulation of their kernels. In this pro^- 
cess the kernel of the male sperm-cell transmits the indi- 
vidual peculiarities of the father, the kernel of the female 
egg-cell transmits those of the mother ; the inheritance from 
both parents is determined by the commingling of both 
kernels and with it likewise begins the existence of the new 
individual, the child. It is against all reason to suppose that 
this new individual should have 'an eternal life' without end, 
when we can minutely determine the finite beginning of its 
existence by direct observation." (Ibid., Vol. ii., pp. 494, 
495.) 

Denying the teachings of the Scriptures and accepting as 
he does, Development in its "entirety," Haeckel makes no 
distinction between mind and soul, but regards them as iden- 
tical. And insists that man is merely a highly developed 
and cultivated ape, and no more capable of obtaining immor- 



22 THE REALITY AND 

tality than any Other animal, and that our religion is simply 

a worthless superstition. 

In attempting to explain the origin of religion, Sir John 
Lubbock says: 

"The first great stages in religious thought may, I think, 
be regarded as — 

"Atheism; understanding by this term not a denial of the 
existence of a Deity, but an absence of any definite ideas on 
the subject. 

"Fetichism; the stage in which man supposes he can 
force the deities to comply with his desires. 

"Nature-Worship or Totemism; in which natural objects, 
trees, lakes, stones, animals, etc., are worshiped. 

"Shamanism; in which the superior deities are far more 
powerful than man, and of a different nature. Their place 
of abode also is far away, and accessible only to Shamans. 

"Idolatry or Anthropomorphism ; in which the gods take 
still more completely the nature of men, being, however, 
more powerful. They are still amenable to persuasion ; they 
are a part of nature, and not creators. They are represented 
by images or idols. 

"In the next stage the Deity is regarded as the author, 
not merely a part of nature. He becomes for the first time a 
really supernatural being. 

"The last stage to which I will refer is that in which 
morality is associated with religion." {Origin of Civiliza- 
tion, pp. 209, 210.) 

If the teachings of the Theory of Development are true 
and if man is only an intellectual and highly cultivated ani- 
mal with no immortality, and if monotheism the sublimest 
religion the world has ever known, is merely the result of 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 23 

development from the most degrading and savage supersti- 
tion, if all this is true, then Byron is right when he says : 

" 'Ay, but to die, and go,' alas! 

Where all have gone, and all must go! i 

To be the nothing that I was 

Ere born to life and living woe! 

"Count o'er the joys thine hours have seen, 
Count o'er thy days from anguish free, 
And know, whatever thou hast been, 
* 'Tis something better not to be." 



CHAPTER II. 

The School of Divine Creation. 
Genesis. Chapter I. 

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 

"And the earth was without form, and void; and dark- 
ness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God 
moved upon the face of the waters. 

"And God said, Let there be light : and there was light. 

"And God saw the light, that it was. good : and God di- 
vided the light from the darkness. 

"And God called the light Day, and the darkness He 
called Night; and the- evening and the morning were the first 
day. 

"And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of 
the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 

"And God made the firmament, and divided the waters 
which were under the firmament from the waters which were 
above the firmament : and it was so. 

"And God called the firmament Heaven. And the even- 
ing and the morning were the second day. 

"And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be 
gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land ap- 
pear : and it was so. 

"And God called the dry land Earth ; and the gathering 
together the waters He called Seas : and God saw that it was 
good. 

"And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb 

24 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 25 

yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, 
whose seed is in itself, upon the earth : and it was so. 

"And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding 
seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed 
was in itself, after his kind : and God saw that it was good. 

"And the evening and the morning were the third day. 

"And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of 
the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them 
be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and, years : 

"And let them be for lights in the firmament of the 
heaven to give light upon the earth : and it was so. 

"And God made two great lights : the greater light to 
rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night : he made 
the stars also. 

"And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to 
give light upon the earth. 

"And to rule over the day and over the night, and to di- 
vide the light from the darkness : and God saw that it was 
good. 

"And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. 

"And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly 
the moving creature that hath life, and. fowl that may fly 
above the earth in the open firmament heaven. 

"And God created great whales, and every living crea- 
ture that moveth, which the waters brought forth abund- 
antly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind : 
and God saw that it was good. 

"And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multi- 
ply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in 
the earth. 

"And the evening and the morning were the fifth day. 

"And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living crea- 



26 THE REALITY AND 

ture after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of 
the. earth after his kind: and it was so. 

"And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and 
cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth upon the 
earth after his kind : and God saw that it was good. 

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our 
likeness : and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, 
and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over 
all the earth, and over every creeping, thing that creepeth 
upon the earth. 

"So God created man in his own image, in the image 
of God created he him ; male and female created he them. 

"And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be 
fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue 
it : and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the 
fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon 
the earth. 

"And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb 
bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and 
every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed ; to 
you it shall be for meat. 

"And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of 
the air, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, 
wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for 
meat : and it was so. 

"And God saw everything that he had made, and, be- 
hold, it was. very good. And the evening and the morning 
were the sixth day." 

CHAPTER II. 

"Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all 
the host of them. 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 27 

"And on the seventh day God ended his work, which he 
had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his 
work which he had made. 

"And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it : be- 
cause that in it he had rested from all his work which God 
created and made. 

"These are the generations of the heavens and of the 
earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord 
God made the earth and the heavens. 

"And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, 
and every herb of the field before it grew : for the Lord God 
had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not 
a man to till the ground. 

"But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered 
the whole face of the ground. 

"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the 
ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life ; and 
man became aliving soul. 

"And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; 
and there he put the man whom he had formed. 

"And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow 
every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; 
the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of 
knowledge of good and evil. 

"And a river went out of Eden to water the garden ; and 
from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. 

"The name of the first is Pison; that is it which com- 
passeth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold ; 

"And the gold of that land is good : there is bdellium and 
the onyx stone. 

"And the name of the second river is Gihon ; the same is 
it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. 



28 THE REALITY AND 

"And the name of the third river is Hiddekel : that is it 
which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth 
river is Euphrates. 

"And the Lord God took the man and put him into the 
Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 

"And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of 
every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat : 

"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou 
shalt not eat of it : for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou 
shalt surely die. 

"And the Lord God said, It is not good that man should 
be alone; I will make him an helpmeet for him. 

"And out of the ground the Lord God formed every 
beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought 
them unto Adam to see what he would call them : and what- 
soever Adam called every living creature, that was the name 
thereof. 

"And Adam gave names to all cattle and to the fowl of 
the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there 
was not found an helpmeet for him. 

"And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon 
Adam, and he slept : and he took one of his ribs, and closed 
up the flesh instead thereof; 

"And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, 
made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 

"And Adam said, this is now bone of my bones, and 
flesh of my flesh : she shall be called Woman, because she 
was taken out of Man. 

"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, 
and shall cleave unto his wife : and they shall be one flesh. 

"And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and 
were not ashamed:" (The Bible.) 



CHAPTER III. 
The Teachings of Spiritualism. 

Since we have presented the teachings of the Theory of 
Development in the language of its leading authorities ; and 
those of the Scriptural school in the language of the inspired 
writer, it is now in order to give the teachings of Spir- 
itualism, and who could better present those views than 
"The Great Poughkeepsie Seer" A. J. Davis, who says : 

"The geologists of Europe, with two or three excep- 
tions, are mortgaged to the early doctrines of Egypt and 
Persia, regarding the ORIGIN of the physical universe. 
Brewster, Burke, Murchinson, Hugh Miller — the talented 
master-builders of the terrestrial science — begin with the 
popular dogma of original special 'creation ;' and so, although 
they are compelled to differ from supernaturalism in their 
secondary conclusions, yet primarily, modern science and 
popular theology are wholly at peace — being equally my- 
thological." {Present Age and Inner Life, p. 39.) 

Mr. Davis gives us quite a full account of the formation 
of the universe from a Spiritualistic stand-point in these 
words : "Previous to the present structure of the Universe, 
the immeasurable realms of immensity were channels 
through which flowed seas of unformed materials. Infini- 
tude was filled with elements of divine power, and with es- 
sences of progressive and eternal tendencies. And residing 
in the centre yet spreading to the unimaginable circumfer- 
ence was the Holy Artisan — the Divine Architect — the 

29 



30 THE REALITY AND 

Great Positive Mind! This Almighty Power and Creative 
Principle, is called God. The eternal elements of his being-, 
were conceiving, in their utmost depths, a sublime creation — 
a sacred embodiment of Celestial principles. For there was 
then but two great co-eternal principles in all the wide- 
spread universe — Mind and Matter, or, God and the ele- 
ments of his physical organization. And having perfected 
the plan of the universe — God said, with the full co-opera- 
tion of his indwelling elements and essences of Love — 

'LET Us Make Man/ 

"And then the first attribute of Wisdom, which is Use, 
said : 'Man shall be a culmination of universal nature ; he 
shall be so organized in his body as to receive and elaborate 
the animating elements of nature unto an eternal and un- 
changeable Soul; and his Soul — being constituted of those 
principles which are in themselves pure, everlasting and in- 
finite — shall possess and obey the tendency to unfold arid 
progress forever.' 

"And then the second attribute of Wisdom, which is 
Justice, said — 'Man shall occupy such a position in the Uni- 
verse as will secure to all things, organized or unorganized, 
visible or invisible, a permanent equilibrium of power, pos- 
sessions and demands.' 

"And then the third attribute of Wisdom, which is 
Power, said — 'Man shall be created through the mediums 
and intrumentalities of countless Suns and Planets, and 
also through the regular and harmonious development of 
minerals, vegetables, and animals; each of which shall cor- 
respond to, represent, and embody, some particular portion 
of his organism.' 

"And then the fourth attribute of Wisdom, which is 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 31 

Beauty, said — 'Man shall represent and embrace all Suns 
and Planets, all minerals and vegetables ; and also the energy 
and strength, and symmetry, and structural beauty of all 
animals, in his form, organs, and functions.' 

"And then the fifth attribute of Wisdom, which is Aspi- 
ration, said — 'Man shall know himself to be immortal, he 
shall be the King, the Lord, the Crown, the Coronation of 
Nature; he shall aspire to an Angel, a Seraph, a God.' 

"Then the sixth and highest attribute of Divine Wis- 
dom, which is Harmony, said— 'Man shall be an exact em- 
bodiment of the Great Spirit who creates him ; he shall rep- 
resent, in a finite degree, the elements and attributes of the 
Infinite; he shall desire, and be capable of, and shall enjoy, 
the most ineffable blessedness; he shall aspire after har- 
mony, shall unfold it, and shall give his eternal existence to 
its maintenance; he shall be an embodiment of Nature, a 
revelation of Harmony, and an image of God.' 

"Such is deeply impressed upon my spirit as the far 
shadow of the Divine plans and celestial Contemplations of 
the Great First Cause, previous to the creation of man and 
the elaboration of the present illimitable universe. And im- 
mediately subsequent to this concurrence of plans and deci- 
sions in the wisdom-chambers of the Supernal Mind, there 
rolled forth, into the sublime depths of infinity, an endless 
chain of the most magnificent orbs — suns of immeasurable 
magnitude and unutterable grandeur. And in like manner, 
circle after circle of suns were unfolded from out the deep 
bosom of the previous seas of unorganized materials; and 
thus the universe was organized and spread throughout the 
innumerable realms of boundless infinitude. 

"But for what purpose were- all these suns, planets and 
satelites unfolded? What use was this universe of moving 



32 THE REALITY AND 

orbs to subserve? Why create them at all? Because the 
great attribute of Omnipotence, in accordance with immuta- 
ble principles of being and doing, hath said that 'Man 
shall be created through the mediums and instrumentalities 
of countless suns and planets ; and also through the regular 
and harmonious development of minerals, vegetables, and 
animals.' 

"From these Divine revealments we must draw the fol- 
lowing conclusions : 

"I. That the stupendous universe is organized for the 
ultimate purpose of developing and organizing Man. 

"II. That the anatomical and physiological construc- 
tions of Man are designed to receive and elaborate t l -e ani- 
mating elements of Nature into an immortal and endlessly 
progressive soul. 

"The subject under consideration is now before the 
mind. I will therefore proceed to a more minute examina- 
tion of the proposition that Man is a culmination of uni- 
versal nature. 

"Notwithstanding the unpopularity of the philosophy 
which accounts for Man's existence upon principles of 
progressive development, nevertheless it is the only philoso- 
phy which reason can sanction and the soul cherish as its 
own. But it is exceedingly difficult for those minds who 
have been born and educated in the midst, and under the 
influence of mythological theology, to see its truth and un- 
derstand its application. It is easier for a blind man, who 
never saw the light, to understand the properties and beau- 
ties of the distant landscape, than for an uneducated, or a 
wrongly-educated mind, to comprehend the truths of this 
philosophy. Should the reader therefore have his reason 
clouded, or his' intuition so buried beneath a superficial and 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 33 

dogmatic education as to cause him to shrink from the pres- 
ent investigation, then he should arise with manly strength 
to unshackle his thoughts, and to burst open the dungeon 
door, that his imprisoned understanding may come forth and 
be free. One breath of liberty's atmosphere — one glimpse 
of the serene light which emanates from truth and knowl- 
edge—is sufficient to compensate the soul for years — yea, 
for a life-time of intellectual and spiritual slavery. 

"Probably the most repulsive feature of this philosophy, 
to the uninitiated inquirer, is the proposition that Man came 
from the animal creation ; or, perhaps, the implied denial of 

the generally received doctrine which maintains that Man, 

i 
as wei: as everything in Nature, is a direct and immediate 

creation from God's own hand. But here on the threshold 
of our examination, let it be deeply impressed that, I do not 
teach that there is any sudden, miraculous or unnatural meta- 
morphosis of the quadrumana into Man ; nor that Man is an 
effect of the immediate transfiguration of any particular 
organization to be found in the animal kingdom ; but I am 
impressed to affirm that Man was developed, subsequent to 
minerals, vegetables, and animals, by a focul concentration 
of all the elements, essences and substances, under the most 
perfect conditions and influences which exist in Nature. The 
Deity operates and creates according to unchangeable and 
impartial laws. For as much as the general of anything 
includes innumerable particulars, it is agreeable to the highest 
reason to believe that God made provision for the minutest 
objects in the universal plan. Thus : having a mighty and 
sublime End to accomplish, God instituted the widespread 
Universe, with all its parts and powers perfectly and ex- 
quisitely adjusted. And as the growing plant arrives at a 
period when Branches are unfolded, and at another when 



34 THE REALITY AND 

Buds burst forth, at another when Fruit is developed, and 
yet at another when the fruit is Matured; so has Nature, ac- 
cording to the unchangeable workings of Divine law, arrived 
at a period when Minerals were unfolded, and at another 
when Vegetables burst forth, at another when Animals were 
developed, and yet at another period when all conditions, 
elements and essences conspired to the organization of Man. 
It is just as reasonable to believe that God creates and 
shapes, like the potter, from the dust of the earth, each little 
twig, and bud, and acorn of the oak, and places them upon 
the tree, as to believe that he created, by any special and 
personal action, the multifarious forms and human struc- 
tures that breathe and move upon the earth's surface. 

"But here the reader may inquire — 'If by perpetual and 
harmonious development Nature has produced plants, brutes, 
and Man, why do we not see these different organizations 
and springing up spontaneously, without a germ, from the 
ever advancing earth?' The answer is, that Nature is a 
vast and powerful organization; and that it was originally 
designed to unfold through countless series, degrees and 
groups of physical and sentient organizations, the material 
and spiritual constitution of man. Therefore, when Nature 
arrived at the point where she could accomplish this portion 
of her mission, it was no longer necessary, nor possible that 
she should continue in the old path of specific formation. 
The ultimate Use of Nature is to individualize and immor- 
talize the human spiritual principle. It is proper, therefore, 
to consider Nature as a mighty and Magnificent Machine, 
and the Divine Mind as the omnipotent and omniscient Ar- 
tisan. Now we may consider the machine as perfect — as not 
wanting in anything — as being complete and adequate to the 
great ultimate End for the accomplishment of which it was 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 35 

instituted. That Nature is perfect and complete in all her 
parts, is demonstrated by the perpetually presented fact that 
human beings are born, and that human spirits ascend to 
higher spheres. If, then, God has constructed this great 
Machine upon principles of unchanging order, harmony, and 
progression — and if it is perfect, even to> the adjustment of 
an atom — it is unreasonable to inquire why he is not still 
engaged in constructing it. 

"We must understand that every mineral bed is a foun- 
dation stone, that every class of plants is a belt, and that 
every Animal is a wheel in the sublime mechanical structure 
of Nature; and Man — that wonderful, fearful, enigmatical 
being— is the glorious result of its harmonious movements. 
Hence, should we see plants growing without their germs ; 
or the quadramana changing into man ; or Man developing 
other than by the familiar means of impregnation and repro- 
duction — I say, should we behold these phenomena which 
belong to centuries past, then would Nature be imperfect, 
because God would still be engaged in constructing and 
in perfecting this vast Invention. But since the Whole is in 
a high state of perfection, we may not expect to 1 behold such 
aberrations of creative principles; on the contrary, it is 
only righteous to expect the various wheels in Nature to 
move harmoniously in the ceaseless performance of their 
allotted labors. 

"At an early period in the earth's history and subse- 
quent to the formation of the primary and secondary strata, 
a mighty and universal change occurred in the constitution 
of the atmosphere. This change, being caused by a general 
earthquake, was attended with a corresponding alteration 
in the situation of many intermediate strata, and also with 
an improvement in the condition and refinement of almost 



36 THE REALITY AND ' 

all the terrestrial and divine elements which were previously 
tending to higher formations. In consequence of the favor- 
ableness of this change, new strata were formed, and new 
elements and essences were unfolded, capable of developing 
and sustaining new and various vegetable organizations. 
Now let the mind pass rapidly over many centuries — remem- 
bering that the principles of progression and development 
were incessantly working out their legitimate mission ; that 
there was going on a constant refinement and rarencation of 
all atoms, substances, and vitalizing essences throughout 
Nature — and now we come to an interesting era in the 
system of physical development. The igneous rocks are 
formed; the primary, secondary, transition, and superficial 
strata are fully confirmed in their structure and position; 
the diluvial and alluvial systems are nearly complete; the 
mineral formations are perfect, and are engaged in generat- 
ing and eliminating many elements of life and vitality; and 
the various orders and groups of the vegetable kingdom 
have arrived at the summit of their susceptibility to the pro- 
lification of surrounding substances, essences and condi- 
tions. Now there occurred a marriage between the highest 
forms and essences in the vegetable kingdom — in other 
language, those particles of matter, and elements of life in 
each system, which experienced an affinity for one another, 
converged and united; and the consequence was, assisted 
by surrounding conditions and circumstances, a development 
of the first form of animal life. 

"It is not my present intention to examine the evidences 
which support this system of organic creation; my object 
now is, to trace the progressive development of the animal 
kingdom up to Man. By the first form of animal life, 
I mean the most inferior order of the radiata — including, 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 37 

in its subsequent developments, the various and almost in- 
numerable classes of Zoophyta, polypiaria, etc., which then 
abundantly peopled the sea. But another Bra arrived in the 
order of creation, and then came forth a new and a higher 
class of organizations — fitted to the conditions and influences 
of food and atmosphere which then existed. Thus the 
Saurian kingdom was unfolded — including, in its many 
and various developments, every species of avertebrated 
animals — such as the conchifera, Crustacea, pterodactyles, 
ichthosaurus, together with every species of crocodiles, rep- 
tilia, crustaceous fishes, and batracians. The last named or- 
der, batrachia, includes frogs, toads, salamanders, and every 
species of the protens. The protean animals are such as 
alter their anatomy and physiology several times during 
their brief existence. This phenomenon in Nature is illus- 
trated by the frog, which — previous to assuming its ulti- 
mate form — undergoes two distinct and important anatom- 
ical changes. After minerals and vegetables unfolded the 
Pisces or fish kingdom, and after this kingdom unfolded the 
Saurian kingdom, then the latter arrived at a point of ex- 
treme development and unfolded the Bird kingdom. Of 
course, the first order of birds was vastly inferior to those 
which now exist ; but, by constant progressive improvements 
in the physical condition of the earth and the atmosphere, 
the inferior orders gradually advanced to the confirmation 
of the most perfect of that form of animal life. And then 
there was another focal-concentrated convergence of the 
elements and substances which planted the germ, which 
germ being urged on and quickened into full development 
by the conspiration of universal nature, resulted in the un- 
folding of the Marsupial kingdom. Marsupia are animals 
possessed with pouches in which they carry and cherish their 



38 THE REALITY AND 

young — such as the opossum and kangaroo. Succeeding 
this kingdom, in consequence of a similar process of concen- 
trated germinal-properties and circumstantial-prolification, 
the Mammalial organization was unfolded. Mammalia em- 
brace all animals which suckle their young. Thus the 
higher we ascend in Nature, the more closely allied do we 
find the various organizations to Man. It is almost im- 
possible to contemplate Nature with a comprehensive, gen- 
eralizing eye, and determine which to first term man — 
whether the highest of the quadrumana or the lowest of, the 
human type — so gradual and progressive is the emergement 
of one kingdom into another ! The mammalia order of or- 
ganizations includes the cetacea, rumantia, edentala, pachy- 
dermia, digitigrade, planitigrade, and the quadrumana. 

"The primary change from the quadrumana into the in- 
ferior types of the human organism, is so easy and uncon- 
spicious, that to the scientific and systematic investigator, 
the anatomical and physiological transformation is scarcely 
perceptible. For when Nature was sufficiently perfected to 
unfold, from out of her inexhaustible properties and es- 
sences, the Fish, the Saurian, the Bird, the Marsupial, and 
the Mammalial kingdoms, it had become an easy, imper- 
ceptible and a comparatively harmonious work to develop 
Man. Every atom, every element, every essence, every min- 
eral, vegetable and animal organization in Nature aspired to 
be Man. The vast spiral of ascending forms in creation strove 
to be Man ; for he was the grand ultimate end which those 
forms were originally deigned to accomplish. Hence, when 
every form of organic life arrived at the consummation of 
its development, and when Nature was spread all over with 
beauty and with good atmosphereic and geographical con- 
ditions, the earth was prepared for Man ; and by a universal 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 39 

combination and conspiration of tendencies and efforts on 
the part of each and everything, he was unfolded. Though 
at first huge and unrefined, and resembling, in his anatom- 
ical and physiological constructions, the quadrumana more 
than any other or higher type of the animal creation, 
yet man's innate tendency was onward toward perfec- 
tion, and hence he finally became, in his anatomy and phy- 
siology what he now is — a coronation of universal Nature 
i and an image of God ! 

"The anatomical or structural law, and the physiological 
or functional law, operate with an omnipotent influence 
throughout the empire of Nature. Commencing with the 
elaboration of worlds, these laws display themselves in the 
geological, in the vegetable, in the animal, and in the bimanal 
developments and organizations, which constitute and deco- 
rate those world's surfaces. The anatomical law is mani- 
fested in vigorous action long prior to the physiological law. 
But when the vegetable organism is reached, the two prin- 
ciples become married, as it were, and thereafter move and 
work upon parallel or nearly identical planes through all the 
ascending kingdoms of Nature up to, and in, Man. * * * . 

"Minerals and vegetables converged at a very distant 
era in the earth's physical and organic history, and, by the 
commingling of their living forces, merged into and un- 
folded the fish kingdom. The fish kingdom expanded for 
many centuries, and then it also converged and unfolded the 
Saurian kingdom ; and thus, by a constant succession of di- 
vergences and convergences on the part of each ascending 
kingdom, the whole animated creation arrived at a high 
state of perfection, which state is represented in the anatom- 
ical, physiological and psychological possessions of Man! 
The diagram, therefore, is illustrative of the true order of 



40 



THE REALITY AND 



1VIAIJE 



FKMALE 



v f'| 



t^™^^ 



^emNDIlUn^ 



'°-i/ 



e \^ e 









a. 






'*/ 



, ^**«"vtfi 






fc* 




Mr. Davis' Diagram from The Great Harmonia, Vol. I. 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 41 

Nature's physical developments. A full synopsis of Man's 
creation may be obtained by simply interrogating Nature; 
for she points up to the Eternal mind who instituted laws 
that manifest themselves throughout her unfoldings, and 
bids us consider the principles of Association, Progression, 
and Development." (The Great Harmonia, Vol. i., pp. 
15-25, inc.) 

"Motion was first especially manifested in the Mineral 
kingdom ; Life in the Vegetable ; Sensation in the Animal ; 
and Intelligence in the Human kingdom ; but, as we ascend 
the successive kingdoms in the development of Nature, we 
perceive these principles of action to be more and more pro- 
gressive towards perfection. They become more perfect, 
both in their approximations to vital or spiritual organiza- 
tion, and in their modes of acting upon matter. Thus the 
vegetable is actuated not only by motion but also by life; and 
the animal not only by motion and life, but by sensation 
combined with them ; and the human organization is actuated 
by motion, life, and sensation,' in a perfect state of com- 
bination, which combination develops an eternal intelli- 
gence." (Ibid., Vol. i., p. 49.) 

From the above utterances of Mr. Davis, it is plain that 
Spiritualism does not belong to either of the "two schools 
of learning," nor is it a school of learning in itself. It op- 
poses the Scriptural School in that it presents a colder ma- 
terialism than even Haeckel's, and opposes Atheism in that it 
advocates immortality. In a word Spiritualism is Atheism 
run to seed. In the next world or after physical dissolution 
has taken place, Spiritualism affirms that there is still endless 
progression towards the "Great First Cause," at which no 
one ever has, can or will arrive. 



CHAPTER IV. 
God and Matter. 

In Great Harmonia, Vol. 1, Mr. Davis says: "Thus 
unaided by any individual, he enters this high and superior 
state of mental exaltation; and while in this independent 
condition (which necessarily emancipates his spirit from 
the influences of the physical organism, and brings him 
into immediate conjunction with the great sphere of knowl- 
edge), he receives his spiritual impressions, and rapidly 
records them with a pencil. In the composition of his 
works, the author derives no assistance from the reading 
of books ; nor does he refer to any, except, in rare instances, 
to the Dictionary, by which he verifies the orthography of 
those technical terms, which, while in the superior condi- 
tion, he perfectly understands and employs with great ease 
and propriety of application." {Preface, pp. 6, 7.) 

Since Mr. Davis, by his own admission derives his in- 
formation from the "great sphere of knowledge,' , then all 
things whatsoever he imparts to us while in that "superior 
condition " should be absolutely true ; and modern scientific 
research should only reveal the strength and correctness of 
his position. In the light, therefore, of the sciences and the 
scriptures, let us examine his statements as recorded in the 
preceding chapter. 

In the natural order of events the first question to be 
investigated is, what is Mr. Davis' God? Is it a person, a 
principle, or simply nature? It must be one of the three, 

42 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 43 

for nothing can at the same time be a person, a principle, 
and nature That he is undecided as to just what he means 
by the term God is shown by the following : "And residing 
in the center yet spreading to the unimaginable circumfer- 
ence was the Holy Artisan — the Divine Architect — the 
Great Positive Mind! This Almighty Power and Creative 
Principle, is called God. The eternal elements of his being, 
were conceiving, in their utmost depths, a sublime creation 
— a sacred embodiment of Celestial principles. For there 
was then but two great co-eternal principles in all the wide- 
spread universe — Mind and Matter, or, God and the ele- 
ments of his physical organization. And having perfected 
the plan of the Universe — God said, with the full co-opera- 
tion of his indwelling elements and essences of Love — 
'Let us make man.' " 

One would naturally suppose from such expressions as 
the "Holy Artisan — the Divine Architect," that Mr. Davis 
accepts for his God a Creator distinct from his creations, 
for artisan' and architect are terms employed solely to de- 
scribe a person. 

But after referring to the "Holy Artisan — the Divine 
Architect — the Great Positive Mind," as if it were a per- 
sonality, he says : "This Almighty Power and Creative 
Principle, is called God." Thus indicating that his God is 
not a personality but a Principle. Then, again, he indicates 
that this "Creative Principle" is an intelligent personality, 
for he says: "The eternal elements of his being were con- 
ceiving, in their inmost depths, a sublime creation — a sacred 
embodiment of Celestial principles." How could a mere 
principle conceive that is, "plot or plan" or devise anything? 
The absurdity of accrediting a mere principle with reason- 
ing powers seems never to have occurred to Mr. Davis, and 



44 THE REALITY AND 

if it had he doubtless would have ignored it, as he does 
other well established facts. 

Again, he tells us that his God, this Creative Principle, 
is not only capable of conceiving, planing, devising, etc., but 
is also capable, of expressing his designs in articulate speech, 
for he says : "And having perfected the plan of the Uni- 
verse — God said, with the full co-operation of his indwelling 
elements and essences of Love — 'Let us make man.' " This 
be it observed, is simply a proposition and one would nat- 
urally suppose that a proposition could emanate solely from 
a personality. The execution of this proposition is assigned 
to Wisdom. But whether he considers Wisdom, God per- 
sonified, or whether it is one of the "elements and essences 
of Love," we are left to conjecture. Be that as it may, at 
any rate he endows Wisdom with articulate speech, and, 
therefore, it must of necessity represent a personality. After 
the various attributes of Wisdom, such as Justice, Power, 
Beauty, etc., had each had their say, as to what man shall 
be, "then the sixth and highest attribute of Divine Wisdom, 
which is Harmony, said — "Man shall be an exact embodi- 
ment of the Great Spirit who creates him; he shall repre- 
sent, in a finite degree, the elements and attributes of the 
Infinite; he shall desire, and be capable of, and shall enjoy, 
the most ineffable blessedness; he shall aspire after har- 
money, shall unfold it, and shall give his eternal existence 
to its maintenance; he shall be an embodiment of Nature, a 
revelation of Harmony, and an image of God." 

Thus man was to "desire and be capable of, and shall 
enjoy the most ineffable blessedness," etc. Since man was 
to be an exact "embodiment" of the Great Spirit who creates 
him, it follows that this Great Spirit possessed "desire," 
and the capacity to enjoy, etc. Under the meaning which 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 45 

ordinarily attaches to words these "attributes of the In- 
finite" would further indicate that the Great Spirit is a 
personality. This obscurity as to the meaning of the term 
God, as employed by Mr. Davis is maintained throughout 
his works. He says, for example: "In one sense, He is 
an individual, and in another sense, He is not an individual." 
(Ibid., Vol. ii., p. 272.) 

Then, again, he says: "We must admit that Mind (or 
God), and Matter (or Nature) are uncreated and eternal." 
(Ibid., Vol. ii., p. 246.) From this one would naturally 
suppose that he makes a distinction between "Mind (or 
God) and Matter (or Nature)," when he declares each to 
be uncreated and eternal. But in this we are mistaken, for 
he tells us that "all we know of creation is simply con- 
fined to that unceasing and universal change of atoms which 
is going on in the vast, immeasurable organization of God, 
called nature." Thus we find that the distinction which he 
had just drawn between these uncreated and eternal things 
is obliterated, and that God is nature. But the uncertain 
meaning of all terms previously employed by Mr. Davis, 
descriptive of God, are destroyed, and finally merged into 
one term, as shown by his statement that "it (matter) is in 
all things, and is all things, and there is nothing that is not 
matter." (Ibid., Vol. ii., p. 237.) 

Thus we find that the "Holy Artisan," the "Divine 
Architect," the "Great Positive Mind," the "Almighty 
Power," the "Creative Principle," "God," "Wisdom," and 
ks "attributes" and "Nature" are one, and all simply mat- 
ter, that Matter is all things and that "there is nothing that 
is not matter." 

If these absurdities arid contradictions are the best re- 
sults obtainable from the "great sphere of knowledge," then 



46 THE REALITY AND 

Mr. Davis and his followers would have been far better in- 
formed had he devoted more time to the "reading of books," 
and less to the "superior condition." The evident play upon 
words in which Mr. Davis indulges reveals a pitiable effort 
upon his part to explain the origin of the material universe 
without the intervention of an intelligent Creator. 

In pleasing contrast to the contradictory and confusing 
statements of Mr. Davis, we present the following learned 
argument by Prof. Winchell, as to the existence of a per- 
sonal God: 

"I join here in swelling the testimony of antiquity and 

of the large majority of thinkers of all ages, that Deity is 

proclaimed in the creation; that it is legitimate to deduce 

divine motives from the structure of the cosmos, and to 

point out motives as the moving causes of divine activity. 
* * * 

"Every effect, whether simple or complex, implies inten- 
tionally, and this implies intelligence. From the moment 
we recognize the world as an effect, we are compelled, by 
the necessary laws of thought, to recognize also intelligence. 
I do not refer here to the character of the effect, but simply 
to the fact that the world is an effect. * * * 

"Finally, the consummation of the causal act implies 
the exertion of will. There must be an executive deter- 
mination of conscious efficiency toward the contemplated 
effect which has awakened desire and purpose. All the other 
causative steps converge here. Will is the last condition 
of effect. Being the last condition, Will always implies In- 
telligence and Sensibility. 'Will is the synthesis of Reason 
and Power.' In strict language, 'intelligent will' is a tauto- 
logical phrase. Will is the only force in existence. * * * 

"Will, then, closes the circuit of causation. Will com- 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 47 

pletes and implies the exercise of the three classes of psychic 
activities which characterize personality. Intellect, Sensi- 
bility, Will — these are the prime factors of a personal dif- 
ferentiation from the objective datum of causality. Once 
before we reached the principle of duality. Now we per- 
ceive that one term of the duality must be a personality. It 
is impossible to interpret truly an effect without discovering 
Intellect, Sensibility and Will; and it is impossible to think 
of these except as the attributes of a personal existence. ,, 
(Reconciliation of Science and Religion, pp. Ill, 116, 117, 
118, 119.) 

Thus we find that Prof. Winchell, the distinguished sci- 
entist, can not conceive of First Cause or Deity, except as 
possessing "Intellect, Sensibility and Will," and these attri- 
butes he tells us are inseparable from a personality. In this 
he voices the best thought of many of the leading profane 
writers of both ancient and modern times. 

This is fully sustained by the inspired authors. While 
the Bible does not propose to give an account of the origin 
of God, it does clearly and concisely teach that there is a 
Creator — a personal God, distinct from His works. The 
Bible is the only book that gives a cosmogony of the uni- 
verse fully sustained at every point by modern scientific re- 
search. It must be admitted that the existence of God can 
jiot be proved by actual observation. It must also be ad- 
mitted that inasmuch as the teachings of the Bible upon 
all other important subjects are proved true that this funda- 
mental teaching of an intelligent Creator is demonstrated by 
deduction. 

When we see some fine mechanical structure, such as a 
palace or a temple, it never occurs to us that it evolved into 
its present magnificent proportions under the influence of 



48 THE REALITY AND 

some natural law or some principle innate in matter. On the 
contrary, we recognize it as an expression of intelligence 
controlling matter. So it is with the universe, except in an 
infinitely greater degree; when we observe its varied phe- 
nomena and the laws governing their movements we should 
see in these the expression of an Infinite intelligence con- 
trolling matter. 

It is preposterous to seriously ask any one to accept as 
their God, a Creator who begins by being a "Holy Artisan," 
a "Divine Architect," a "Great Positive Mind," and, finally 
dwindles down to mere matter, such as Mr. Davis offers for 
our consideration. This offensive appeal to our credulity 
is emphasized by the fact that to accept it we must renounce 
the elevating and ennobling teachings of the Bible as to the 
existence of a Creator of infinite intelligence. 

Prof. Haeckel says of matter : "Natural science teaches 
that matter is eternal and imperishable." 

In dicussing the eternity of matter Hudson Tuttle says : 
"The origin of matter and force evade the grasp of the 
human mind. Consistent philosophy can only rest its sure 
foundations on the admission of the co-eternity of the atom 
and the forces which emanates therefrom. We have no 
knowledge of the creation or destruction of the least frag- 
ment of matter. We are only acquainted with change. * * * 
Here on the assumed co-eternity of Matter and Force, on 
the foundation of Materialism, we plant our philosopy of 
Spiritualism. Without such basis, scientific reasoning is 
futile and vain." (The Ethics of Spiritualism, p. 21.) 

Mr. Davis, like Hudson Tuttle and other spiritualists 
"on the assumed co-eternity of Matter and Force, on the 
foundation of Materialism," plants his "philosophy of Spirit- 
ualism," as shown by the following : 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 49 

"The foundation of the whole superstructure is the ab- 
solute indestructibility of Matter, or of that universal sub- 
stance which gives us a tangible individuality, and which 
constitutes the outer physical organization of the Great Posi- 
tive Mind. Matter is eternal. * * * God and his Body 
are eternal. There was nothing prior to Deity by which He 
could have been created ; nor was there ever a period in the 
depths of time when Matter did not exist. God was not 
created — Matter was not created. Anything that is created 
contains within itself the elements of change and disorgani- 
zation. Anything uncreated is beyond the sphere of change 
and distruction. I mean if anything was created as theo- 
logians believe that matter was created out of nothing, then 
that thing would contain within itself the elements of return- 
ing to a similar state — it would change back to nothing. 
We must admit that Mind (or God) and Matter (or Nature) 
are uncreated and eternal." (Ibid., Vol. ii., pp. 237, 245.) 

From the above, it will be observed that Atheism, as pre- 
sented by Prof. Haeckel, and Spiritualism, as presented by 
Andrew Jackson Davis, have a common basis in the as- 
sumed indestructibility and eternity of matter. For we hold 
and will prove both by the sciences and the Bible that matter 
is not eternal, but that it was created. 

In arguing to prove that matter is not eternal, Dr. Pat- 
terson says : "Homogeneous, gaseous matter has been sepa- 
rated, investigated and found to bear the Creator's mark. 
Science has penetrated even into the constitution of matter, 
and from the constitution of its smallest parts, the mole- 
cules of which each element is composed, it has demonstrated 
the necessity for, and the proof of, the existence of a Maker. 

The ultimate molecules of matter are made, manufac- 
tured, and bear the manufacturer's brand indelibly stamped 



50 THE REALITY AND 

upon each one of them. Allow me to cite the words of one 
whose name will ensure respect from all scientists — Prof. 
James Clerk Maxwell, in his lecture before the British As- 
sociation as given in the Scientific American, and cited in 
the Interior, Sept. 4, 1873 : 

" 'Professor Clerk Maxwell lately delivered an interest- 
ing lecture before the British Association upon Molecules, by 
which is meant the subdivision of matter into the greatest 
possible number of portions, similar to each other. Thus, if a 
number of molecules of water are combined, they form a 
mass of water. Molecules of some compound substances 
may be subdivided into their component substances. Thus 
the molecule of water separates into two molecules of 
hydrogen and one of oxygen. 

" Trofessor Maxwell has calculated the size and weight 
of hydrogen molecules, and finds that about two millions of 
them, placed side by side in a row, would occupy a length 
of about one twenty-fifth of an inch, and that a package 
of them, containing a million million million million of 
them, would weigh sixty-two grains, or not quite one-eighth 
of an ounce. 

" 'Each molecule throughout the universe, bears im- 
pressed on it the stamp of a metric system as distinctly as 
does the meter of the archives of Paris, or the double royal 
cubit of the Temple of Karnac. 

" 'No theory of evolution can be formed to account for 
the similarity of molecules, for evolution necessarily implies 
continuous change, and the molecule is incapable of growth 
or decay, of generation or destruction. None of the processes 
of nature, since the time when nature began, have produced 
the slightest difference in the properties of any molecule. 
We are, therefore, unable to ascribe either the existence of 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 51 

the molecules or the identity of their properties to the mole- 
cules, or the identity of their properties to the operation 
of any of the causes which we call natural. On the other 
hand, the exact equality of each molecule to all others 
of the same kind, gives it, as Sir John Herschel has 
well said, the essential character of a manufactured article, 
and precludes the idea of its being eternal and self-existent. 

" 'Thus we have been led, along a strictly scientific path, 
very near to the point at which science must stop. Not that 
science is debarred from studying the internal mechanism of 
a molecule, which she can not take to pieces, any more than 
from investigating an organism which she cannot put to- 
gether, but in tracing back the history of matter, science is 
arrested when she assures herself, on the one hand, that the 
molecule has been made, and on the other that it has not been 
made by any of the processes we call natural. 

" 'Science is incompetent to reason upon the creation of 
matter itself out of nothing. We have reached the utmost 
limit of our thinking faculties when we have admitted that 
because matter cannot be eternal and self-existent, it must 
have been created. It is only when we contemplate, not 
matter in itself, but the form in which it actually exists, that 
our mind finds something on which it can lay hold. That 
matter, as such, should have certain fundamental properties, 
that it should exist in space, and be capable of motion, that 
its motion should be persistent, and so on, are truths which 
may, for anything we know, be of the kind which metaphy- 
sicians call necessary. We may use our knowledge of such 
truth for purposes of deduction, but we have no data for 
speculating as to their orgin. But that there should be ex- 
actly so much matter and no more in every molecule of 
hydrogen, is a fact of a very different order. * * * They 



52 THE REALITY AND 

continue this day as they were created, perfect in number 
and measure and weight, and from the ineffaceable charac- 
ters impressed on them we may learn that those aspirations 
after accuracy in measurement, truth in statement, and jus- 
tice in action, which we reckon among our noblest attributes 
as men, are ours, because they are essentially constituents 
of the image of Him, who in the beginning created, not only 
the heaven and the earth, but the materials of which heaven 
and earth consist/ " (The Errors of Evolution, pp. 73, 74, 
75, 76.) 

Thus we find that modern scentific research reveals the 
fact that matter is not self-existent — is not eternal ; but is a 
manufactured article and that "each molecule throughout the 
universe bears impressed on it the stamp of a metric system." 

As might have been expected, the distinguished scholar, 
Professor Winchell, in opposition to materialism, and in 
harmony with modern science, affirms that matter is not 
eternal, but is an effect, he says : 

"Albertus Magnus, in the face of the prevailing senti- 
ment of antiquity, follows the instinct of causality to its 
legitimate conclusion, and affirms that even matter is an 
effect. * * * 

"I am ready to admit the expression 'caused from eter- 
nity ;' though I should deny the necessary existence of mat- 
ter or motion from eternity, or from any other assignable 
epoch. I can conceive that before the beginning of the 
existence of the present cosmos, or even its matter, Deity 
had ordained an infinite series of schemes of existence, none 
of which involved the employment of what we call matter. 
Thus, it seems to me, the fundamental postulate of what we 
call atomism can only be granted by creation. * * * * 
The universe, as an effect, must be subsequent to its cause. 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 53 

The existence of matter can not run parallel with the being of 
Deity. Matter may be eternal in the mathematical sense; 
but the being of God is precedent both logically and historic- 
ally. (Ibid., pp. 99, 102, 103, 104.) If matter is only 
mathematically eternal — this means that it is eternal in a 
limited sense only — which means that it is not eternal at all 
— which means that it is created. 

Continuing, Prof. Winchell says: Cause is a word 
which I have used in a sense somewhat restricted. I have 
not admitted as real cause any agency supposed to be exerted, 
in the natural world, by what we call matter. The energy, 
however, which emerges from matter, and impinges upon 
matter, has generally been taken as the type of efficient 
cause. It has been assumed that energy may be pocketed in 
portions of matter, to be let loose on certain occasions, and 
produce effects. Not denying for the moment, the possibil- 
ity that matter may become the repository of force, it is im- 
possible for me to conceive of matter as a fountain of force. 
A thing which is itself an effect must be an effect in all its 
parts and in all its attributes. All energy emanating from 
an effect must be itself an effect; and all results of its effi- 
ciency must be results of the first or original cause. * * * * 
"Thus the assumption of independent, originative voli- 
tion in matter would be a new thing in philosophy — a theory 
sounding a dissonance with the tenor of human thought; 
and awaking in antagonism the historical instincts of hu- 
manity. Moreover, the investiture of matter with thinking 
and voluntary attributes would summon us to the funeral 
of God and the soul. If matter thinks, there is no need to 
postulate spirit. If matter creates, and ordains, and co- 
ordinates, this is our god which we trample under our feet 
and sweep from our door-sills. 



54 THE REALITY AND 

"It is perfectly safe to assume that matter is not self- 
conscious and self-motive. Two alternatives remain. It 
may be conceived as absolutely passive and adynamic — a 
mere channel for the transmission of energy, from some 
original fountain of force; or, as is conceivable, at least 
as a formula of words, it may be a repository of delegated 
force. The latter alternative approaches the current concep- 
tion; which, however, represents natural force as a blind 
energy, resident in matter, and constituting an essential 
property of matter. Let me inquire, first, what is involved 
in the popular idea that force inheres in matter. Under the 
prevailing conception, the myriad motions of the physical 
world are but the phenomena produced by the effort of force 
to reach a state of equilibrium. Gravitation is the cause of 
myriads of movements. * * * * 

"That if these undiscerning mechanical forces inhere in 
matter, they must have been made inherent by some agent or 
cause. If so made, the event must have transpired in time. 
The theory necessitates an intelligent, uncaused Author of 
matter, with its properties. This is the current theistic con- 
ception. 

"The other thought is an anticipation of the end of 
this physical ferment, and the quest for some datum not 
involved in the final subsidence of cosmical activities. The 
transmission of heat from the sun to the earth, and from the 
earth's interior to external space, has been the physical cause 
of the terrestrial changes of millions of years. But the heat 
which escapes from the earth never returns to it ; and the sun 
loses not only the thermal energy imparted to the earth, and 
the other heavenly bodies, but the infinitely greater amounts 
disseminated through the unoccupied spaces of the universe. 
Hence the basis of the doctrine of the 'dissipation of energy.' 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 55 

The epoch is separated from us by only a finite interval, when 
these great perennial sources of physical activity shall have 
been exhausted, and, however the ferment may be prolonged 
by agencies impossible to compute, the whole world, the 
whole solar system, shall have settled at length into that 
condition of stagnation and death towards which creation 
is daily marching with strides as visible as the approach of 
those wintry frosts which are browning the meadows and 
shaking the scarlet leaflet to the ground. This impending 
crisis marks an end of the cosmical ferment as sharply as its 
historical purport pronounces as beginning; and leaves us 
at both extremities of existence, with no support but the 
same All-sufficiency already revealed in the dependent nature 
of force and motion and matter. 

"Such conclusions are necessarily involved in the popular 
idea that force inheres in matter. * * * * Is it think- 
able, for instance,, that a molecule of inert matter should be 
made the repository of an energy which should perpetually 
draw its neighboring molecule towards it, and of another 
energy which should perpetually repel it ; or that these two 
forces should act respectively at certain distances, and cease 
to act at distances greater or less than these; or that, both 
forces acting, they should be found in equilibrium at sev- 
eral different intervals of distance between the molecules? 
Is it thinkable that either atomic or molar matter is capable 
of exerting efficiency at a distance ? Is it not a necessity of 
thought that efficiency requires presence in space as well as 
in time — activity here as well as now? I confess that, with 
all my efforts at abstraction and invention, I am unable to 
think 'dead' matter — for that is the kind of which I speak — 
as acting or as the seat of a 'dead' energy which acts. * * * 

"Of delegated force residing in matter I can form no 



56 THE REALITY AND 

other conception than that it is actuated by the delegating 
power — a sort of form or husk, the substance and vitality 
within which is imparted from some source superior to mat- 
ter. * * * If such force is delegated, it is dependent, and 
destitute of autonomy; and it can only be a matter of mere 
speculation whether its accredited power is enduring or re- 
quires to be instantly renewed. In any case, the very form 
of words implies a source of power superior to matter and 
material energy, and no interest remains in the question, 
save as a mere contingency of science. * * * * 

"Thus we find ourselves, by whatever path we pursue 
our explorations through the mysteries of matter and force, 
always confronted by the divine presence. We cannot flee 
from Deity. There is no way to invent a world which must 
not depend first and last upon divine support. There is 
no way to think of an atom of matter, or that which may be 
called an atom, without conceiving it afloat in the breath 
of divine power." (Ibid. , pp. 120-130, inc.) 

Again we have shown by the sciences that matter is not 
eternal. That Prof. Winchell, Albertus Magnus and others 
affirm that "even matter is an effect" 

And now this distinguished biologist adds his testimony 
to that of other scientists in favor of the necessity of a 
Creator : "Lord Kelvin, the distinguished scientist, in mov- 
ing a vote of thanks to Prof. Henslow, for his lecture before 
the University College Christian Association, demurred to 
the professor's assertion, that with regard to the origin 
of life, science neither affirmed nor denied the creative 
power. 

"On the contrary, he said, "science positively affirmed 
the creative power. Science made every one feel that he 
was a miracle in himself. Modern biologists were coming 






EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 57 

to the firm acceptance of a vital principle. They have been 
absolutely forced by science to admit and believe in a direc- 
tive power; in an influence other than physical, dynamical 
and electrical forces; there was nothing between absolute 
scientific belief in a creative power and the acceptance of the 
theory of the fortuitous concourse of atoms. 

" 'Was there,' he asked, 'anything so absurd as to believe 
that a number of atoms following the ground of their own 
accord, could make a crystal sprig of moss, the microbe of a 
living animal. Nobody could think that anything like that 
could, unaided, give us a beautiful world like ours. Let no 
body be afraid of true freedom of thought. Let us be free 
in thought and criticisms, but with freedom we are bound 
to come to the conclusion that science is not antagonistic, but 
is a help to religion.' " {Special to the St. Louis Star, May 
3, 1903.) 

Thus the teachings of the sciences sustains the Mosaic 
Record that "in the beginning God created the heaven and 
the earth." This evidently does not mean that God created 
them as they are to day, for the Mosaic Record proceeds to 
give an account of the formation of the heavens and the 
earth and their various phenomena. But it simply means 
that in the beginning God brought into existence and intro- 
duced into what was formerly empty space, the molecules 
of matter, the material of which our physical universe is 
composed. 

Thus we have shown by the sciences and the scriptures 
that matter is not eternal, but that it is artificial. This de- 
stroys the basis of Atheism. It also sweeps the foundation 
from under Spiritualism, for Mr. Davis himself admits that 
if we deny this "fundamental conviction of truth (the eter- 
nity of matter) we have no grounds or foundation from 



58 THE REALITY AND 

which to reason." Thus the sciences and the scriptures teach 
that modern spiritualism, so far from being based upon 
"unequivocal knowledge," is founded upon the grossest 
error. 

In discussing a creation, Mr. Davis says: "That there 
is no creation but Formation." (Present Age and Inner 
Life, p. 39.) But,' as usual, he contradicts himself a few 
pages further on by asserting that, "creation is a beautiful 
sermon ; terminating with a grand, glowing, glorious conclu- 
sion — the human soul." (Ibid., p. 50.) 

Before proceeding further, let us inquire what is a crea- 
tion, and what a formation ? In discussing this subject Prof. 
Dawson says: 

"What, then, is creation in the sense of the Hebrew 
writer? The act is expressed by the verb bara, a word of 
comparatively rare occurrence in the Scriptures, and em- 
ployed to denote absolute creation. * * * * 

"In the first chapter of Genesis, after the general state- 
ment in verse i, other verbs signifying to form or make are 
used to denote the elaboration of the separate parts of the 
universe, and the word 'create' is found in only two places, ' 
when it refers to the introduction of 'great whales' (reptiles) 
and of man. These uses of the word have been cited to dis- 
prove its sense o£ absolute creation. It must be observed, 
however, that in the first of these cases we have the earliest 
appearance of animal life, and in the second the introduction 
of a rational and spiritual nature. Nothing but pure mate- 
rialism can suppose that the 'elements of vital and spiritual 
being were included in the matter of the heavens and the 
earth as produced in the beginning; and as the Scripture 
writers were not materialists, we may infer that they recog- 
nized, in the introduction of life and reason, acts of absolute 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 59 

creation, just as in the origin of matter itself. In Genesis 
ii and iii, we have a form of expression which well marks 
the distinction between creation and making. God is there 
said to have rested from all his works, which he 'created 
and made' — literally, created 'for or in reference to mak- 
ing/ the word for making being one of those already re- 
ferred to — (asah). The force of this expression consists in 
its intimating that God not only finished the work of crea- 
tion, properly so-called, but also the elaboration of the va- 
rious details of the universe, as formed or fashioned out of 
the original materials. * * * 'In the Hebrew Scriptures 
this word bara is applied to God only as an agent, not to any 
human artificer; a fact which is very important with refer- 
ence to its true significance." (The Origin of the World, 
pp. 90, 91, 92.) 

In discussing the difference between creation and forma- 
tion, Mr. Carroll says: "A creation is the bringing into 
existence, and introduction into the material universe of 
some new element. A formation is something made out of 
some pre-existing material — the result of a mere change 
wrought in the form of the original element. ,, (Tempter of 
Eve, p. 42.) 

This enables us to readily perceive the difference between 
the terms creation and formation. 

Thus, by the aid of the Scriptures and the sciences we 
have disproved the information obtained by Mr. Davis 
from the "great sphere of knowledge," while in the so- 
called "superior condition." Mr. Davis himself admits that 
his teachings are not only opposed to the teachings of 
modern theology but to those of the sciences ; he says : "The 
Harmonial Philosophy, on the contrary, in opposition to 
the primary teachings of modern theology and science, 
affirms the eternity of matter." (Ibid., p. 39.) 



CHAPTER V. 

The Spiritualistic Theory as to the Origin of Min- 
erals and Vegetables. 

In attempting to account for the origin of the universe, 
Atheism teaches that the universe is the effect of the opera- 
tion of certain laws governing matter. These laws, how- 
ever, are not the result of Infinite Intelligence, but came 
into existence of themselves — that is, spontaneously. For 
example, Darwin accounts for the transmutation of lower 
species of plants and animals into higher forms, and the 
transmutation of the higher species of animals into man 
by the operation of what he terms the law of "Natural Se- 
lection, or Survival of the Fittest." He then proceeds mi- 
nutely to describe the operations of that law. Thus giving 
something real, something tangible to investigate. 

Not so the Spiritualists. For while they teach that the 
universe, and everything therein contained, is the effect of 
the operation of the laws of "Association, Progression and 
Development," yet they are absolutely silent as to the origin 
of these laws ; how they operate, or why they operate at all. 
Thus leaving us in absolute ignorance on these important 
questions. 

According to the Universal Dictionary, "Atheism may 
be termed Materialism in its naked, and not its transcen- 
dental sense." 

Therefore, since Materialism is one branch of Atheism, 
and since Materialism is the basis of Spiritualism, and since 

60 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 61 

Spiritualism disdains to explain the operation of her so- 
called laws, in order to show the absurdities of Spiritualism 
it is necessary first to successfully assail Atheism and Ma- 
terialism and thus destroy the foundation of Spiritualism. 
For example, in a preceding chapter, Mr. Davis says : 

"Such is deeply impressed upon my spirit as the far 
shadow of the Divine plans and celestial contemplations of 
the Great First Cause, previous to the creation of man and 
the elaboration of the present illimitable universe. And im- 
mediately subsequent to this concurrence of plans and de- 
cisions in the wisdom-chambers of the Supernal Mind, there 
rolled forth, into the sublime depths of infinity, an endless 
chain of the most magnificent orbs — suns of immeasureable 
magnitude and unutterable grandeur. And in like manner, 
circle after circle of suns were unfolded from out the deep 
bosom of the previous seas of unorganized materials; and 
thus the universe was organized and spread throughout the 
innumerable realms of boundless infinitude." (Ibid., Vol. i, 
p. 17.) 

In attempting to analyze the writings of Mr. Davis, we 
must bear in mind that whatever term or terms he may em- 
ploy in referring to what we would call Deity, he is always 
speaking of matter in different degrees of development, for 
he says: "It (matter) is in all things, and is all things, 
and there is nothing that is not matter." Therefore, it is not 
intellect but matter that "plans" the universe; and there 
rolled from the "Supernal Mind," that is from Matter "mag- 
nificent orbs" and "suns of immeasurable magnitude and 
grandeur." 

A more minute discussion of this subject is given by Mr. 
Davis in the following language: He says: 

"Let us interrogate nature. She points up to the eternal 



62 THE REALITY AND 

mind, who instituted laws that manifest themselves through 
her unfoldings, and she bids us consider the principles of 
Association, Progression and Development. 

"Under the powerful and constant direction of these 
laws, we perceive the unbroken perpetual tendency of all 
forms and substances toward unity, perfection, and organi- 
zation. From the Great Central Mind proceed innumer- 
able elements and substances which form innumerable nuclei. 
These individually attract those elements, and substances 
that have corresponding individual affinities; and these ac- 
cumulate, and condense, and purify and form suns, system 
of suns, comets, planets, and satellites. Then from the 
central mass and fertile womb of each planet rudimental 
particles ascend, and undergoing a process similar to that 
by which the planets were made and developed, they ultimate 
and develop mineral combinations." (Ibid., Vol. ii., pp. 
237, 238.) 

Those at all familiar with the Nebular Hypothesis will 
observe that there is a striking resemblance between the 
teachings of the Great French infidel, La Place, and those 
of Davis, the Spiritualist. For example, they each attempt 
to account for the origin of the universe without the aid of 
a Creator ; they each hold that matter is eternal and fills all 
space and that "there is nothing that is not matter." 

Davis' "Great Central Mind," from which "proceed 
elements and essences" which "accumulate and condense, 
and purify and form suns, system of suns, comets, planets 
and satellites," bears a close resemblance to La Place's 
great "Central sun," or "nebulous star" which threw off 
gaseous rings which cooled and condensed and formed the 
earth, the planets and the stars, etc. 

Since there is so striking a resemblance between Davis' 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 63 

theory of the origin of the solar system and La Place's 
Nebula Theory, in proving the fallacy of the one, exposes 
the inconsistency and absurdities of the other. 

As the Nebula Hypothesis is the one now most generally 
accepted among Atheists, Materialists and Spiritualists we 
will, therefore, investigate this theory in the light of the 
Scriptures and the sciences. In presenting this theory, Prof. 
Guyot says : 

"In the genesis of our solar system, as explained by the 
genius of La Place, * * * we see how a family of planets 
has been detached from a vast central body which holds 
them in bondage in their orbits by the power of its mass. 

"This last history, which immediately concerns the earth 
as one of the daughters of our sun, is so important in help- 
ing us to understand the phases of development undergone 
by our globe, that it may be well to give a short outline of 
the foundation on which it rests. 

"1. It is found that the distances of the orbits of the 
planets from the sun follow a nearly regular law, which is, 
that, starting from the orbit of Mercury and counting the 
place of the asteroids as one planet, each succeeding orbit 
is about double the distance of the preceding one. 

"2. On the whole, the planets nearer the sun are smaller 
than the more distant ones. 

"3. Their density is increasing with their nearness to 
the sun. 

"4. All the planets and their satellites revolve around 
the sun in the same direction and nearly in the same plane 
as the equator of the sun itself. 

"5. The velocity of their revolution is diminishing 
with their distance from the sun. 



64 THE REALITY AND 

"6. The rapidity of their rotation on their axis, on the 
contrary, is increasing. 

"All these coincidences point to a common law which 
seems to indicate a community of origin. 

"To explain it La Place had not to go so far back as 
Herschel, to the point where matter begins to gather from 
the immensity of space around a nucleus forming a nebulous 
mass. He assumed, as his starting point, the sun as a nebu- 
lous star with a powerful nucleus, revolving on its axis, and 
whose hot gaseous atmosphere extended beyond the limit of 
the orbit of Neptune. Plunged in the cold abysses of heaven, 
in which it loses incessantly, by radiation, a part of its heat, 
it cools and contracts; its centrifugal force increasing rap- 
idly at the same time. Under its action, the cool and 
heavier particles rush toward the equatorial parts, where, 
owing to the continual contraction of the main body, they 
are soon left behind in the shape of a ring similar to those 
which we observe around Saturn. 

"According to the laws of motion, the ring continues to 
move with the same velocity as the main body from which it 
is detached. But as the ring itself shrinks in cooling, its 
inner surface, receding from the sun, begins to move less 
rapidly, while the outside, approaching nearer the sun, 
moves with greater rapidity. The equilibrium being thus 
disturbed, the ring tends to break up, and the outside gaining 
upon the inside, the whole is rolled up into a single globular 
mass with a rotary motion in the same direction as that of 
the ring itself. The result is a planet revolving around the 
sun and rotating on its axis in the same direction as the sun 
and in the plane of its equator. By further contraction of 
the sun, the same process is repeated and new planets are 
formed. They decrease in size, because the detached rings 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 65 

grow less at every step. They increase in density, because 
the later planets are detached when the density of the sun 
is increased. The larger planets have a more rapid rotation, 
because they have been contracting during a longer period 
of time." (Creation, pp. 67, 68, 69, 70.) 

That the Nebula Hypothesis is opposed to the sciences 
is shown by the following high authorities. In commenting 
on the Nebula Hypothesis, Dr. Patterson says: 

"La Place, the best infidel mathematician of his day, 
set himself to investigate the construction of the solar sys- 
tem; with such success in his own opinion, that he was able 
to suggest several improvements on the creator's plan, by 
which we might have better climates, and moon light all the 
year. It involved, as Lionville shows, the slight inconveni- 
ence that the arrangement would not last six months, and 
that its breaking up would involve moon, earth; planets, and 
sun in one universal crash of destruction. Our cosmogonist, 
however, was not daunted by such contingencies, from at- 
tempting a plan by which these worlds might have made and 
arranged themselves as we now find them. He devoted him- 
self to the solar system merely; since, if he could show how 
that created itself, it would not be difficult to extend the 
process to all the stars. The planets, as we now see them, 
display so many common features that it was perceived they 
must have had a common origin; and there are so many 
similar and orderly movements among them that the notion 
of a chance origin could not be entertained. * * '* 

"It is not science. Science is something known, but this 
theory is not known. It is not founded on facts; it is not 
proven ; its advocates acknowledge that they cannot prove it 
at present. * * * 'The theory is contradicted by the 
densities of the planets. At the time La Place constructed 



66 THE REALITY AND 

his theory, the densities of the planets were either unknown 
or erroneously valued. He constructed his theory to suit 
these errors. Astronomers are now agreed as to the error 
of Newton, and La Place, and Kepler, in supposing that the 
densest bodies were those nearest the sun. Kepler declares 
the sun to be the densest of all cosmical bodies; because it 
moves all others which belong to his system.' Newton 
argues : 'The bodies of Venus and Mercury are more 
ripened and condensed, on account of the greater heat of the 
sun. The more remote planets, by want of heat, are deficient 
in these metallic substances and weighty minerals with 
which the earth abounds. Bodies are denser in proportion 
to their nearness to the sun.' 

"La Place calculated his system accordingly, and made 
his outside planets, which were first cast off, light in propor- 
tion to their distance from the sun, while those nearest, 
which had condensed most, were made heavy accordingly. 
For instance, he calculates the density of Mercury, to make 
it square with his theory, at 2.585 ; which indeed was a little 
less than was then generally supposed ; while it is in reality 
now found to be only one-half of that or 1.234 — a very little 
heavier than the earth. The sun, which ought to be the 
densest body of the system by the theory, is actually much 
lighter than the earth, and stands fifth in the order of densi- 
ties. There is no correspondence whatever between the dis- 
tances and the densities of the planets. The actual order of 
the solar system, as to density, is given by Humbolt as fol- 
low: Saturn, 9.140 of the earth's density; Uranus, 0.178; 
Neptune, 0.230; Jupiter, 0.243; Sun, 0.252; Venus, 0.940; 
Mars, 0.958; Earth, 1; Mercury, 1.234. Thus it appears 
that the sun is but little denser than Neptune, the outer 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 67 

planet of the system exactly the reverse of La Place's nebu- 
lar hypothesis. 

"This objection, of the inconsistence of densities, comes 
with even greater force from the comets of our system. 
They are by far the most numerous family we have. Kep- 
ler says that there are more comets in the heavens than fishes 
in the ocean. At any rate, astronomers calculate their num- 
bers within our solar system at two or three millions. Now 
these, according to the theory, should not be within the solar 
system at all, nor within millions of miles of it, but away in 
the outer margins of space among the nebula, since they are 
lighter than vanity. Every comet which shows its light 
head among solid world mocks at the Nebular Hypothesis. 

"The other arrangements of the solar systems were found 
to be equally at variance with the demands of the theory. 
The orbits of the comets, being inclined at all angles to the 
sun's equator, are often out of the plane of his rotation, and 
fly right in the face of the theory. The moons of Uranus 
revolve in a direction contrary to all the other bodies, and so 
contrary to the theory. The palpable difference between 
the luminosity of the sun and of the other bodies, is in 
itself a sufficient refutation of the theory which would make 
them all out of the same materials, and by the same process, 
and moreover refutes the notion of their common origin by 
any mere mechanical law, as Newton shows: 'The same 
power, whether natural or supernatural, which placed the sun 
in the center of the six primary planets, placed Saturn in 
the centre of the orb of his five secondary planets, and the 
earth in the centre of the moon's orbit; and, therefore, had 
this cause been a blind one, without contrivance or design, 
the sun would have been a body of the same kind with 
Saturn, Jupiter, and the earth; that is, without light and 



68 THE REALITY AND 

heat. Why, then, is one body of our system qualified to give 
light and heat to all the rest ? I know no reason but because 
the Author of the system thought it convenient." {Errors 
of Evolution, pp. 15. 16, 24, 34, 35, 36.) 

Sir Robert Ball regards the nebula theory as a mere 
speculation : "Nor can it be ever more than a speculation ; 
it cannot be established by observation, nor can it be proved 
by calculation." {The Story of the Heavens, p. 500.) 

In referring to the theory of La Place, Mr. Proctor 
says: 

"But this ingenious theory does not account for some 
peculiarities which are scarcely less remarkable than those 
on which it has been based. In particular it does not ac- 
count for the strange disposition of the masses of the solar 
system. Why should the inner family consist of minor 
bodies, in the main unattended, while the outer consists of 
giant orbs with extensive families of satellites ? Why should 
the innermost members of the outer family of planets be the 
largest, while just within there lies the family of asteroids, 
not only individually minute, but collectively less (as Lever- 
rier has proved) than Mars or even Mercury? Why should 
the two middle planets of the inner family be the largest 
members of that family? La Place's theory gives no ac- 
count of these peculiarities; nor perhaps could it be insisted 
that these peculiarities should be explained; yet, if any 
other theory should give an account of these features, ex- 
plaining also the features which we have seen accounted for, 
then such theory would have a decided advantage over La 
Places'. It is to be noticed also that La Place's great nebu- 
lous contracting mass is a very unsatisfactory conception to 
begin with. No such mass could rotate as a whole. And 
lastly, La Place's theory does not in any way correspond 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 69 

with processes still taking place within the solar system. 
It gives no account of the immense number of meteor flights 
and comets still existing within the solar domain." (The 
Expanse of Heaven, pp. 182, 183.) 

While many advocates of the Nebular Theory speak 
of it as a demonstrated fact, we should not be surprised that 
the more conservative minds, like Sir Robert Ball, should 
pronounce it "merely a conjecture," when La Place himself 
offered it to the world with expressed "distrust" of its cor- 
rectness as shown by his language, as quoted by Prof. Ennis 
as follows : "Whatever may have been the origin of this 
arrangement of the planetary system, which I offer with that 
distrust which everything ought to inspire that is not the 
result of observation or calculation, it is certain that its 
elements are so arranged that it must possess the greatest 
stability, if foreign observations [influences?] do not dis- 
turb it." (The Origin of the Stars, p. 380.) 

It must be admitted that speculation and conjecture are 
not science. 

As shown by Dr. Patterson, La Place's theory was 
based upon an error as to the relative density of the planets. 
This in itself is fatal to his theory. 

Besides, as Mr. Proctor has shown, La Place's theory 
does not account for the "strange disposition of the masses of 
the solar system," nor for the "immense number of meteor 
flights and comets still existing within the solar domain." 

In describing the phenomena of the heavens, Prof. 
Tyndall says : 

"The luminiferous ether has definite mechanical prop- 
erties. It is almost infinitely more attenuated than any 
known gas, but its properties are those of a solid, rather 
than those of a gas. It resembles jelly, rather than air. A 



70 THE REALITY AND 

body thus constituted may have its boundaries ; but although 
the ether may not be co-extensive with space, we at all events 
know that it extends as far as the most distant visible star. 
In fact, it is the vehicle of their light, and without it they 
could not be seen. This all-pervading substance takes up 
their molecular tremors and conveys them with inconceiv- 
able rapidity to our organs of vision." (Fragments of 
Science, p. 10.) 

La Place's theory was constructed without any reference 
to, nor can it explain the existence of, this ether which sur- 
rounds every star and is the "vehicle of their light." Pos- 
sibly La Place never heard of this ether, although it was 
discovered during his time by an English astronomer, 
Thomas Young; or, if he heard of it, possibly he did not 
recognize its importance. Be that as it may, at any rate his 
theory makes no provision for it, nor does he attempt to 
explain how heat and light would reach the earth without 
some such medium to transmit the sun's rays; nor does he 
seem to understand that his theory in failing to make such 
provision, would leave our earth in darkness and devoid of 
heat and utterly incapable of habitation. This ether which 
surrounds the earth, the sun and every star and fills all space 
is the "most extensive formation in all the material universe." 
Not only does La Place's theory fail to explain the existence 
of this immense body of ether, but the very presence of this 
ether proves the fallacy of his theory. It is plain that "the 
sun as a nebulous star" never threw off this immense mass of 
ether in the form of gaseous rings, as La Place assumed that 
it did the earth and the celestial bodies. Even if we accept 
La Place's assumption as to the origin of the great bodies, 
we are still at a loss to account for the ether by which they 
are surrounded, for how could the sun throw off a substance 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 71 

different in composition from itself ? And again, is it rea- 
sonable to suppose that this wonderful combination of the 
luminaries which produce the light and the ether by which 
their light is transmitted to the earth is the result of mere 
chance ? Since the Nebular Hypothesis can only account for 
a small part of the phenomena of the universe, while the 
great bulk of the phenomena is utterly opposed to it, this 
hypothesis "falls to the ground" under the law laid down 
by Huxley, as follows : 

"Every hypothesis is bound to explain, or at any rate 
not to be inconsistent with the whole of the facts it professes 
to account for; and if there is a single one of these facts 
which can be shown to be inconsistent with (I do not merely 
mean inexplicable by, but contrary to) the hypothesis, such 
hypothesis falls to the ground — it is worth nothing. One 
fact with which it is positively inconsistent is worth as much, 
and is as powerful in negativing the hypothesis, as five 
hundred" {Lectures on the Origin of Species, p. 140.) 

With matter filling all space and no God to aid, where 
would the power come from sufficient to impart motion to 
that inert gaseous mass? 

For, as Mr. Proctor has well said, "no such mass could 
rotate as a whole," and without rotary motion the initial step 
in the construction of the universe could never have been 
taken. This applies with as much force to Davis' "Great 
Central Mind," as to La Place's "Central Sun," for motion 
is absolutely essential to the development of each theory. 
And Mr. Davis, we must remember, gains his information 
from the "great sphere of knowledge," therefore whatever 
he offers for our consideration, should be "truth" — "is," as 
he affirms, "unequivocal knowledge" 

La Place's Nebula Theory and Davis' "unequivocal 



72 THE REALITY AND 

knowledge" are opposed to the teachings of modern science 
and at the same time are in striking contrast to the plain 
teaching of the Bible that God made the luminaries 
and placed them in the "firmament of the heaven to give 
light upon the earth." Thus the Bible teaches that God not 
only made the luminaries, but that they are not situated 
in empty space, but were placed in the "heavens." Mr. 
Carroll is the only modern writer who shows that the 
Bible teaches (1) that the heavens and luminaries are dis- 
tinct bodies ; (2) that the heavens and the ether are identical ; 
(3) that it is not to the luminaries alone, but to a combina- 
tion of the luminaries and the heavens that the earth is in- 
debted for its light. He shows that this is in absolute har- 
mony with the sciences which teach (1) that the luminaries 
are not situated in empty space; (2) that an ether surrounds 
the luminaries and is the "vehicle of their light;" (3) that 
it is not to the luminaries alone, but to the luminaries and 
the ether which surrounds them that the earth is indebted 
for its light. 

As shown by the above, Davis' theory and the Nebula 
Hypothesis both purporting to explain the origin of the 
earth and the celestial bodies, are the antithesis of the Bible's 
narrative of creation. And that they are also in conflict with 
the teachings of modern science. 

Thus, we have shown the errors and absurdities of the 
Nebular Hypothesis and at the same time exposed the fal- 
lacy of Mr. Davis' theory as to the origin of the solar sys- 
tem; thus demonstrating the unreliability of at least that 
part of the information purporting to be derived from the 
"great sphere of knowledge." We should always bear in 
mind that Mr. Davis' statements are founded upon "un- 
equivocal knowledge." Keeping this clearly before the 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 73 

mind, we now offer for consideration the following state- 
ments obtained by him from the ' 'great sphere of knowl- 
edge" while in a "superior condition" : 

"Thus : having a mightly and sublime End to accomplish, 
God instituted the widespread universe, with all its parts and 
powers perfectly and exquisitely adjusted. And as the grow- 
ing plant arrives at a period when Branches are unfolded, 
and at another when Buds burst forth, at another when 
Fruit is developed, and yet at another when the fruit is 
Matured; so has nature, according to the unchangeable 
workings of Divine law, arrived at a period when Minerals 
were unfolded, and at another when Vegetables burst forth, 
at another when Animals were developed, and yet at another 
period when all conditions, elements and essences conspired 
to the organization of man." This same idea is expressed 
throughout his works, as the following will show: "Then 
from the central mass and fertile womb of each planet rudi- 
mental particles ascend and undergo a process similar to that 
by which the planets were made and developed, they ulti- 
mate and develop mineral combinations." (The Great Har- 
monia, Vol. ii., p. 238.) 

We will now investigate the statements of Mr. Davis as 
to the origin of the minerals, vegetables, animals and man, 
as illustrated in his diagram in Chapter III, of this work, 
and see if they will stand the test of the Scriptures and the 
sciences. We wish particularly to call attention to the order 
of the appearance of the different kingdoms as presented 
by him since he declares that "this diagram, therefore, is 
illustrative of the true order of nature's physical develop- 
ments." By observing the diagram, the reader will see that 
Mr. Davis places the origin of the mineral kingdom in the 
"Transition — Old Red Sand Stone" formation and this 



74 ' THE REALITY AND 

"Old Red Sand Stone'' formation he places above what he 
terms the "Igneous Formation, Coal/'' Now, coal, as 
everyone knows, is of vegetable origin. In opposition to 
Davis' teaching, geology teaches that the earliest rock for- 
mations contain minerals. Mr. Dana says : 

"The constituents of rocks are minerals," and that an 
"abundance of iron-bearing minerals is a striking character- 
istic of the Archaean rocks." ("Manual of Geology," pp. 
47, 151.) Thus we find that minerals did not develop in the 
earth after the coal beds were formed, as Mr. Davis would 
have us believe, but that they exist in the earliest rock 
formations of the globe. 

The "Great Central Mind" is a term employed by Davis 
descriptive of matter as it existed in its primitive or gaseous 
state prior to the formation of the universe. And as from 
this gaseous mass "proceed elements and substances which 
form * * * suns, systems of suns, comets, planets," 
etc., so from the planets rudimental particles ascend and 
undergo a process similar to that by which the planets were 
made and developed, they ultimate and develop mineral com- 
binations." This is Davis' philosophy, this is the "unequivo- 
cal knowledge" he offers from the "great sphere of knowl- 
edge." 

Mr. Davis' statement that the planets developed the min- 
erals is merely a bald assertion, anti-scriptural, unscientific 
and unsupported by one particle of evidence. And science 
will demonstrate the fallacy of his position and will prove 
that instead of the minerals being the result of development 
they are simply an inherent part of the matter creation and 
were diffused throughout all space prior to the formation of 
the earth and the planets. This is shown by the fact that all 
minerals are not confined to our globe, as the spectroscope 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 75 

reveals traces of gold and other minerals in the sun, the 
planets and the stars. With the aid of the spectroscope Dr. 
Patterson says : "We discover in the sun, iron, calcium, 
magnesium, sodium, aluminum, nickel, barium and copper. 
The sunlight reflected from the planets give the same system 
of lines; but the fixed stars give each a different system, 
showing the presence of different metals in each." (Errors 
of Evolution, p. 65.) 

The condition of the minerals depend solely upon the 
condition of the bodies of which they are a part. For ex- 
ample, if the body, whether it be a sun, a planet or a star, or 
whatever it may be, is, like our sun, in a state of combus- 
tion, its minerals are in a molten state ; if, on the other hand, 
the minerals exist in a body like our moon, and many of the 
stars, which are destitute of water, and are not in a state of 
combustion, they will be found in a solid state. While on 
our globe, which is composed of land and water, they exist 
both in a solid and a liquid state ; in the earth they are found 
in a solid state, in the oceans they are held in solution. 

In discussing the minerals of our globe Mr. Gunning 
says : "Strip from the earth all animals, all plants, and 
whatever lives and is neither animal nor plant, and you will 
have a mineral world. Break from its crust a fragment and 
make it an object of study; you will find no interdependence 
of parts. You can not see the whole animal in a limb, nor the 
whole plant in a leaf; but you can see all the iron of a mine 
in a bit of its ore, all the granite of a ledge in a detached 
fragment, all the ocean in a water drop. But while you find 
no interdependence of parts, you will find a union of ele- 
ments. Oxygen is an element which turns like the point of 
a dagger toward everything that lives, and its incessant 
attack on leaf and blood occasions all movement in the or- 



76 THE REALITY AND 

ganic world. But rocks, being already saturated with 
oxygen, are free from attack. In them the elements have 
satisfied their affinities, and are therefore at rest. * * * 

"The waters were here from the beginning; here in their 
elemental gases. As silica is the oxide of silicon and im- 
plies a time when its elements were free, so water is the 
oxide of hydrogen and implies a time when its elements had 
not combined. * * * The primeval atmosphere was 
loaded with other vapors than those of water. * * * 
Chlorine and sulphur and carbon, in the form of acid gases 
mixed with watery vapor, would have formed a dense at- 
mosphere. These acids would have come down in the rain, 
entered into combination with certain bases and loaded the 
sea as they had loaded the air. 

"We are not left to conjecture. We have portions of the 
primitive sea imprisoned in pores of the rock formed on its 
bottom. This fossil sea-water, as Dr. Hunt has shown, is 
far richer than our seas in the salts of lime and magnesia, 
but not in common salt. Most of the chlorine in the present 
seas has entered into combination with sodium and formed 
common salt, but half the chlorine in the primeval sea was 
combined with lime and magnesia — a fact, we shall find of 
great significance in the after-history of the globe. 

"Gold and silver and copper and lead are held in solution 
by the sea. Copper is found in the blood of marine mol- 
lusks, and copper, silver and lead are found in the ashes of 
marine weeds, while a German chemist has announced the 
discovery of gold in sea water. Sonstadt's experiments have 
led him to estimate one grain of gold to each ton of ocean, 
or one dollar to each twenty-five tons, and if this estimate 
is correct Jthe oceans hold eleven million two hundred thou- 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 77 

sand times as much gold as all the nations of men have dug 
from the earth. 

"These metals were held in solution by the primeval 
sea in larger stores, we have reason to believe, than they are 
contained in the seas of our own time." (Our Planet, pp. 
13, 17, 18). 

Thus, so far from our globe developing its minerals, it is 
shown that if stripped of its plant and animal life it would 
be a "mineral world" and that its minerals were held in 
solution by the primeval seas which enveloped the earth 
prior to the separation of the dry land from the waters. 

Having again shown the fallacy of Mr. Davis' informa- 
tion derived from the "great sphere of knowledge" we have 
no alternative than to accept the teaching of the scriptures 
and the sciences as to the origin of the minerals. They 
were not developed by the planets, but are an inherent part 
of matter, and consequently existed prior to the formation 
of the earth and the planets. In other words, the minerals 
are older than the planets which Mr. Davis would have us 
believe developed them. 

In explaining the origin of plant life, Mr. Davis says : 
"Then again by the incessant action of body upon body, and 
essence upon essence, and substance upon substance, mineral 
compositions, not only generate vivifying fluids and medi- 
ums, such as electricity, magnetism, etc., but actually and 
constantly lose themselves in vegetable organization." 
(The Great Harmonia, p. 283.) 

While the evolutionists generally gladly accept any theory 
which proposes to account for the origin of things without 
the aid of an intelligent Creator, yet in his teaching that the 
planets developed the minerals and that the minerals devel- 
oped into the vegetables, Mr. Davis stands alone, unsup- 



78 THE REALITY AND 

ported either by the theory of development by the sciences 
or by the scriptures. 

By referring to the diagram one can readily see that the 
dotted lines showing the origin and course of vegetation 
begin in the "Tertiary Period — Carboniferous Era" while 
the science of geology teaches that in the carboniferous era 
vegetation obtained its greatest luxuriance, and that there is 
"strong evidence" that plants existed in the archean rocks. 

In discussing the Archean Time, Mr. Dana says : "The 
occurrence of graphite in the rocks, and its making 20 per 
cent, of some layers, is strong evidence that plants of some 
kind, if not also animals, were abundant. For graphite is 
carbon, one of the constituents of wood and animal matters ; 
and mineral coal, whose vegetable origin is beyond question, 
has been observed, in the carboniferous rocks of Rhode 
Island, changed to graphite; and even coal plants, as ferns, 
occur at St. John, New Brunswick, in the state of graphite. 
Further, the amount of graphite in the Laurentian rocks is 
enormous. Dawson observes (taking his facts from 
Logan) that it is scarcely an exaggeration to maintain that 
the quantity of carbon in the Laurentain is equal to that in 
similar areas of the carboniferous system. * * In Europe 
graphite occurs in the archean rocks of Bavaria." {Manual 
of Geology, p. 157.) 

Thus we find that Mr. Davis is wholly mistaken as to 
the period in which vegetation appeared upon the earth, and 
we may also observe that his "unequivocal knowledge" 
should have restrained him from confusing two distinct 
periods of time in the geological history of our globe; the 
Carboniferous and Tertiary Ages, which are separated by 
immense intervening periods of time. 

Having shown the unreliability of Mr. Davis' informa- 






EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 79 

tion as to the time vegetation appeared we should not be sur- 
prised to find him equally in error as to their origin. 

In discussing the history of an atom of iron, Mr. Gun- 
ning says : "It is the province of science to make the mind 
see where the eye cannot. Our eyes cannot see an atom, but 
we t must see it. We symbolize the iron atom by Fig. 2 at 1. 
We cannot question it as to its essence or origin. We do 
not know that it ever had an origin, and we must take it as 
the mathematician takes his numbers. The first step we 
find nature taking with that atom is to bum it. The atom 
combines with one and a half atoms of oxygen and is then 
a molecule. Our molecule is insoluble in water. If it were 
in the sea it would find its way to the bottom and rest there 
in the mud. If this oxidation occurred when the world was 
young and there was yet 'no sea,' the molecules would lie as 
cinders on the earth. They would be diffused through the 
rocks forming at the time of their oxidation. They are dif- 
fused through almost all the rocks of the earth's crust. And 
as gravel and clay and sand and soil are merely abraded 
rocks, they .are diffused through almost all the top-dressing 
of the rocky crust. As they are insoluble in water, the rain 
which sinks through the soil has no power to pick them out 
and carry them away. But if the rain falls on a soil over- 
grown with vegetation, the result may be different. Moss, 
ferns, grass, leaves — all forms of vegetation — while rotting, 
yield portions of their carbon to the water which falls on 
them. Freighted with this carbon the water sinks into the 
soil, and every molecule of iron it finds on the way it picks 
out and carries with it. For the molecule gives up one 
portion of its oxygen to the carbon in the water and forms 
with it carbonic acid. What remains now is a protoxide — 
one atom of iron to one of oxygen — and this is soluble in 



80 THE REALITY AND 

water containing acid. The water can move the molecules 
as soon as this interchange has occurred. If we look now 
on a stagnant ditch in a meadow, or a stagnant pool on a 
wayside where vegetation is rank and rotting, we may see 
it mantled with an iridescent scum. This scum is the iron 
picked from the soil and carried hither by the acidulated 
water. The molecules which lay against the air took' from it 
each another portion of oxygen, and, becoming again in- 
soluble, separated from the water and formed this thin, 
shining film. After a time the film sinks to the bottom where 
it is followed by other films which appear now as a reddish 
ochre. If the water comes up in a bog the iron molecules it 
brought are precipitated as bog-ore. 

"We have found the atom oxidizing and becoming a 
molecule. We have seen molecules diffused through rocks 
and soil. We have seen them giving up to the carbon of de- 
caying vegetation, brought to them by water, a portion of 
their oxygen and becoming soluble. We have seen them 
taken up then by the water and carried to ditches or ponds 
or bogs and there aggregated as iron-ochre or bog-ore. 
By other agencies this ochre or bog-ore, is changed into any 
of the forms of iron found in the earth's crust. 

"The shining film on the pool will give us a vision of 
other times. For as nature works to-day in gathering up 
and aggregating her molecules, so she has always wrought. 
A little bed of iron-ochre on the bottom of a ditch tells you 
that so much vegetation had to grow and die and rot and 
yield its carbon to percolating waters, before so many mole- 
cules of iron could be gathered from the soil and brought 
together on the face of a ditch. A mountain of iron-ore — 
as that in Missouri — tells you that so much vegetation, the 
same in proportion as the mountain to the ochre, had to 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 81 

grow and die and rot on the face of a primeval world, and 
yield its carbon to be burned by iron-molecules and thus to 
acidulate the percolating waters, before so many particles of 
iron could be gathered from the ground and aggregated in 
a bog or under stagnant waters. 

"The iridescent film we see so often we do not see at 
all, may give wing to our imagination and show us a vision 
of other worlds as well as other times. A law here is a law 
of the universe. Our minds are so made that when we see 
the result of a process going on before our eyes, and then 
see the same results brought to us, even from interplanetary 
spaces, we must assert a like process for a like result. * * * 

"Less abundant than iron is lead, but not less interesting 
as an episode in the earth's history is 

"The History of an Atom of Lead. 

"Lead is held in solution by the seas, and was held in 
larger per cent by the primeval seas. Where is the excess? 
How has it been abstracted from the sea and laid to rest in 
the limstones? 

"Prof. Whiteney prepared the way for an important 
reform in geology, w T hen, in a government report on the lead 
region of Wisconsin and Illinois, he called attention to the 
fact that metals had been introduced into the rocks of the 
Northwest at the very time when life was introduced on a 
grand scale into the oceans of the globe. From the oceans 
came the lead — not from an imaginary ocean of lava at the 
earth's core. Suppose we had a tank, filled with sea-water. 
And suppose we were to introduce a solution of lead until 
the water is saturated with it. The lead must be in a form 
known as sulphate, a compound of the metal and sulphuric 
acid. Symbols will help us, and we write the chemical sym- 



82 THE REALITY AND 

bol of this compound, Pb. S±, which we are to read, lead 
combined with sulphur combined with four portions of 
oxygen. 

"Lead in this form the sea can hold in solution, and in 
this form we are to suppose all the lead was held while it 
was yet fluent. Our tank sea, heavy with sulphate of lead 
is an epitome of the primeval sea. We may cover it over to 
prevent evaporation, and then wait and watch for the 
appearance of lead. ' But no lead is apparent. Not 
a spangle appears on the walls of the tank. It is evident 
that the lead cannot help itself out of the sea. Calling to 
mind the fact that lead was introduced into the rocks when 
life was introduced into the sea, we stock our tank with sea- 
weeds and low forms of animal life, like polyps and medusae. 
We watch and wait again, but no lead is precipitated. It 
is evident that life cannot help the lead out of the sea. We 
wait till death has occurred — the death of a plant, or of 
some animal, as a polyp or jelly fish, whose body is com- 
posed chiefly of carbon. The glass would now reveal minute 
cubes of lead spangling the floor of the tank. As deaths 
are multiplied the crystals grow larger. It is evident that 
in some way death helps the lead out of the sea into the 
rocks on its bottom. How ? As the molecule of iron gave 
up a portion of its oxygen to the carbon of the dead plant 
and became soluble, so the molecules of lead give up their 
oxygen to the carbon of the dead, and become insoluble. 
We change the symbol now and read Pb. S., which means 
that a lead atom has combined with a sulphur atom. This 
form of lead we call plumbic sulphide, or galena. Being in- 
soluble it sinks and crystalizes in cubes on the floor of the 
sea. Currents may sweep it into fissures in the rock, and 
after-changes wrought on the containing rock may modify 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 83 

its form or chemical structure." (Our Planet, pp. 19, 20, 
21, 22, 23, 24.) 

Thus the sciences prove the fallacy of Mr. Davis' "un- 
equivocal knowledge," and show that the minerals could 
not, nor did not develop into vegetables, but that minerals 
have existed since matter was created; on the other hand 
the presence of decayed vegetable or animal matter was 
necessary to change the minerals, from their -fluent state in 
the primeval seas to their present fixed state in the rocks. 

Having shown that Mr. Davis' explanation of the origin 
of the vegetables is opposed to the teaching of the sciences, 
we should not be surprised to find him in conflict with the 
teaching of the scriptures, as shown by the following: 
"There are the generations of the heavens and of the earth 
when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made 
the earth and the heavens, and every plant of the field be- 
fore it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it 
grew." (Gen. ii, ver. 4, 5.) 

And, as Mr. Carroll has said, the Bible teaches that the 
elements of plant life are a part of the original creation — 
matter. And that they existed in matter prior to the forma- 
tion of matter into the earth. 

The assertions of Mr. Davis as quoted in the preceding 
pages of this chapter do not deserve serious consideration, 
nor would we have noticed them if he occupied a less promi- 
nent place in spiritualistic literature. But being recognized 
as a philosopher and teacher, we feel compelled to show how 
utterly absurd and opposed his statements are to all known 
scientific research, scriptures, reason and common sense. 



CHAPTER VI. 

The "Unfolding of the Animal Kingdoms" or the: 
Transmutation of Species. 

In attempting to account for the origin of animal life 
Mr. Davis says : "By a similar action, and a new and higher 
combination of appropriate particles, the vegetable loses 
itself in the animal organization, and this emerges into the 
organization and development of Man." (The Great Har- 
monia, Vol. ii, p. 238.) 

By observing Mr. Davis' diagrams the reader will see 
that in it the vegetables and minerals are supposed to unite 
and form the fish kingdom, but this is a flat contradiction 
of the quotation above, for there the vegetables only are 
accredited with developing into the animals. While Mr. 
Davis can not agree with himself as to what was the ante- 
cedents of the animals, yet from his statements we must con- 
clude that he has decided that something must have de- 
veloped into them, for he holds that "there is not a pebble, 
a plant, an animal, nor a human being, which has not had 
parents and relations." (Ibid., p. 214.) 

It will not be difficult to show by the sciences the fallacy 
of Mr. Davis' teaching that vegetables "lose" themselves or 
develop into animals. For example, in discussing "vege- 
table and animal life" and "their distinctive characteristics," 
the eminent scientist, Prof. Dana, says : 

"The vegetable and animal kingdoms are the opposite, 
but mutually dependent, sides or parts of one system of life. 
The following are some of their distinctive characteristics : 

84 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 85 

"(1) Plants take nutriment into the tissues by absorp- 
tion, and assimilate it without the aid of a stomach, or any 
digestive fluid ; animals have a mouth, and receive food into 
a sac or stomach. * * * 

"(2) Plants find nutriment in carbonic acid, appropri- 
ate the carbon, and excrete oxygen, a gas essential to ani- 
mals; animals use oxygen in respiration, and excrete car- 
bonic acid, a gas essential to vegetable life. 

"(3) Plants take inorganic material as food, and turn 
it into organic ; animals take this organic material, thus pre- 
pared (plants), or other organic materials made from it 
(animals), finding no nutriment in inorganic matter. 

"(4) The vegetable kingdom is a provision for the 
storing away or magazining of force for the animal kingdom. 
This force is acquired through the sun's influence or forces 
acting on the plant, and so promoting growth ; mineral mat- 
ter is thereby carried up to a higher grade of composition, 
that of starch, gluten, and vegetable fibre, and this is a state 
of concentrated or accummulated force. To this stored 
force animals go in order to carry forward their develop- 
ment; and, moreover, the grade of composition thus rises 
still higher, to muscle and nerve (which contain much nitro- 
gen in addition to the ordinary constituents of the plant) ; 
and this is a magazining of force in a still mo.re concentrated 
or condensed state. 

"(5) Plants of some minute kinds, and the spores of 
some larger species (some Algae), have locomotion, or a 
degree of contractility in certain parts that corresponds to 
an infinitesimal amount of mechanical power; but the loco- 
motive spores, as they develop, become fixed, like the plants 
from ordinary seeds, and no increase of mechanical power 
ever accompanies vegetable development. In animal devel- 



86 THE REALITY AND 

opment from the germ, on the contrary, there is always an 
increase of power — an increase, in all, of muscular power, 
and, in the case of species above the lower grade, of psychical 
and intellectual power — until an ant, for example, becomes a 
one-ant power, a horse, a one-horse power. Whence, an 
animal is a self-propagating piece of enginery, or various 
power according to the species. 

"(6) In the plant, the root grows downward (or dark- 
ward) and the stem upwards (or light-ward) , and there is 
thus the up-and-down polarity of growth — the higher devel- 
opments, those connected with the fruit, taking place above, 
or in the light. In the animal, there is an antero-posterior 
polarity of power, as well as growth — the head, which is 
the seat of the chief nervous mass and of the senses, and 
the locus of the mouth, making the anterior extremity. Con- 
sequently, there is in animals a connection between grade 
and the greater or less dominance and perfection of the head 
extremity. An animal, as its ordinary movements manifest, 
is pre-eminently a go-ahead thing. Even the inferior sta- 
tionary species, like the polyp, show it in the superior power 
that belongs to the mouth extremity. 

"(7) Plants have no consciousness of self, or of other 
existences ; animals are conscious of an outer world, and 
even the lowest show it by avoiding obstacles. 

"From the above diverse characteristics of plants and ani- 
mals, it follows that, however alike the germs of the two are 
chemically (that is, although containing the same elements 
in the same proportions), they must be in their chemical 
nature fundamentally different." (Manual of Geology, pp. 
115, 116.) 

Thus Prof. Dana plainly demonstrates the impossibility 
of the vegetables developing into the animals when he shows 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 87 

that they are the "opposite, but mutually dependent, sides or 
parts of one system of life." For no one, not even the most 
unreasonable, would attempt to assert that opposites could 
spring one from the other. Not only does he prove that the 
vegetables did not develop into the animals, but he also 
proves that the minerals did not develop into vegetables, 
but that minerals are taken into or absorbed as food by vege- 
tables. The teachings of the sciences being true, then the 
teaching of Mr. Davis, which is in opposition to the sciences, 
must be false, and the "first form of animal life" did not re- 
sult as he says, by a marriage : "Now there occurred a 
marriage between the highest forms and essences in the 
vegetable kingdom — in other language, those particles of 
matter, and elements of life in each system, which experi- 
enced an affinity for one another, converged and united ; and 
the consequence was, assisted by surrounding conditions and 
circumstances, a development of the first form of animal 
life." 

Are we to take Mr. Davis' statement seriously? Does 
he really wish us to accept as absolutely true, as "unequivo- 
cal knowledge," his assertion that life, vitality, actually 
exists in minerals? 

His unsupported statement may be to many proof suffi- 
cient that it is true, but for the benefit of those of a more 
skeptical turn of mind, it is to be regretted that from his 
store of "unequivocal knowledge," he did not condescend to 
enlighten us as to the source from which life sprang. Of 
course we recognize the fact that the elements of life are an 
inherent part of matter ; but the question is, how did they 
combine to form life? There are only two schools that at- 
tempt to account for the origin of life, which did Mr. Davis 
accept, the school of Creation or of Development ? It would 



88 THE REALITY AND . 

depend entirely upon his mood. Did he feel the necessity 
of an Intelligent Creator, then the "Divine Architect," the 
"Holy Artisan" would by a combination of the elements of 
life produce life; but were he in an atheistic mood, then 
matter which "is in all things and is all things" would spon- 
taneously combine the elements of life and so produce life. 
Which school he accepts as the correct solution of the origin 
of life we are left largely to conjecture, although from his 
statements the general inference is that he attributes it to 
spontaneous generation. But, let the origin of life be what 
it may, whether the product of an intelligent Creator, or the 
result of spontaneous generation, this question still remains 
to be answered, how can life, which requires an organism for 
its support, exist in inorganic matter? The idea of life 
existing disassociated with an organism is inconceivable, yet 
we find Mr. Davis not only attributing life to the minerals, 
but they are actually "engaged in generating and eliminat- 
ing many elements of life and vitality." 

Mr. Davis would have us believe that the "highest 
forms and essences" of life in the vegetable and mineral 
kingdoms "united" and "assisted by surrounding conditions 
and circumstances" developed the "first form of animal life." 
This is opposed to all scientific research ; while upon the au- 
thority of Professor Dawson the flora of our globe is divided 
into "three great classes of cryptogams, seed-bearing herbs, 
and fruit-bearing trees," which made their appearance in 
the order named. And "farther, we find that even in the 
carboniferous period scarcely any plants of the higher orders 
flourished," while it is a well established fact that the "first 
form of animal life" made its appearance ages prior to the 
carboniferous period. This proves: (1) That the "highest 
forms" of vegetables, the fruit-bearing trees, did not make 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 89 

their appearance upon the globe until long- after the intro- 
duction of animal life, and could not under any "conditions" 
or "circumstances" develop that which is older than they, 
the "first form of animal life." (2) That the fruit-bearing 
trees are land plants and it is absurd to suppose that land 
plants could "assisted" or otherwise possibly develop into 
the lowest forms of animal life, which are water animals. 
(3) That the "first form of animal life" followed not the 
highest but the lowest forms of vegetation, and that both 
made their appearance away back in the Archaen period, 
ages before the appearance of any land plant. Consequently 
no plant, especially a strictly land plant, could possibly he 
the parent of the "first form of animal life." 

Evidently Mr. Davis makes a distinction between plant 
life and animal life, whereas Professor Dana says that they 
"are the opposite, but mutually dependent, sides or parts of 
one system of life." Since there is but "one system of life," 
and since plants and animals "contain the same elements in 
the same proportions" there then can be no distinction be- 
tween them as to life. , 

The teachings of the sciences is sustained by the scrip- 
tures. As has been shown, the elements of plant life are 
a part of the original creation matter, and existed in matter 
prior to the formation of matter into the universe. This 
being true, it follows that the elements of animal life, the 
other side or part of the system, is also a part of the matter 
creation; this is further shown by the fact that the animals 
like the plants were brought forth by divine command. 
(Gen.) 

Since plant life and animal life are identical, what, then, 
distinguishes the animal from the plant? Consciousness, is 
it not? "Animals are conscious of an outer world, and 



90 THE REALITY AND 

even the lowest show it by avoiding obstacles/' What, then, 
is Consciousness? "The perception of what passes in one's 
mind." (Worster.) Thus, consciousness is proof of the 
existence of mind ; and the animal's possession of conscious- 
ness is proof of its possession of mind. Therefore, it is not 
life, as Mr. Davis would have us believe, but mind that dis- 
tinguishes the animal from the plant. 

The Spiritualistic evolutionist holds that mind is simply 
refined matter capable of endless progression; while the 
Materialistic Evolutionist agrees that mind is a part of mat- 
ter, they disagree as to the endless progression, holding that 
physical dissolution ends all consciousness. But the more 
conservative evolutionist, such as Darwin, admit that the 
School of Development can not explain the orgin of mind. 
In discussing this subject, he says : 

"In what manner the mental powers were first developed 
in the lowest organisms, is as hopeless an inquiry as how 
life itself first originated. These are problems for the dis- 
tant future, if they are ever to be solved by man." (Descent 
of Man, p. 74.) 

The School of Creation as presented in the Bible alone 
explains the origin of mind, that it is a creation distinct from 
matter, and made its appearance in the material universe in 
combination with matter in the physical organism of the 
fish, on the fifth creative day.* 

Mr. Davis' employment of contradictory terms in pre- 
senting his views of God leaves us in doubt as to his true 
meaning, both as to what his God really is, whether an 
intelligent Creator or merely matter, and as to the origin 
of life. But he does not shield himself behind this doubt 
and uncertainty in explaining the "unfolding" of the lower 

♦The Tempter of Eve. 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 91 

animal kingdoms into the higher, but employs terms, the 
meaning of which are clear, and at once takes his place 
among the evolutionists, and as such can be reached, and his 
statements disproved. 

Materialists, as a rule, deny the existence of an intelli- 
gent Creator and attribute the origin of life to spontaneous 
generation. The evolutionists, as a class, advance the 
theory of "natural selection or survival of the fittest" to 
account for the development of the lower and simpler organ- 
ism into the higher and more complex, and also explain 
minutely the operations of their so-called law of "natural 
selection or survival of the fittest," thus giving us something 
real, something tangible to assail and disprove. 

But not so with Mr. Davis, he simply gives us what he 
is pleased to term the law of "Association, Progression and 
Development," but fails in the least to explain the operations 
of this law. Thus giving us no evidence that there is such 
a law beyond his bald assertion, and nothing to assail and 
disprove, but the results which he claims for it. We deny 
the existence of such a law and will prove that the animals 
never "unfolded" the lower kingdom into the higher, as he 
claims they did in the following language: 

"After minerals and vegetables unfolded the Pisces or 
fish kingdom, and after this kingdom unfolded the Saurian 
kingdom, then the latter arrived at a point of extreme devel- 
opment and unfolded the Bird kingdom. Of course the 
first order of birds was vastly inferior to those which now 
exist; but, by constant progressive improvements in the 
physical condition of the earth and the atmosphere, the in- 
ferior orders gradually advanced to the confirmation of the 
most perfect of that form of animal life. And then there 
was another focal-concentrated-convergence of the elements 



92 THE REALITY AND 

and substances, which planted the germ, which germ, being 
urged on and quickened into full development by the con- 
spiration of universal nature, resulted in the unfolding of 
the Marsupial kingdom. * * Succeeding this kingdom in 
consequence of a similar process of concentrated germinal 
properties and circumstantial prolification, the Mammalial 
organization was unfolded. Mammalia embrace all animals 
which suckle their young." 

While his division of the animals is unscientific and 
thereby differs from that of every naturalist, it is plain his 
"unfolding" of the lower kingdoms into the higher could 
only be accomplished by what evolutionists term the "trans- 
mutation of species," or the development of lower into 
higher species. The theory of transmutation of lower into 
higher species demands the presence of innumerable inter- 
mediate or transitional forms in every stage of development 
from the lower to the higher species. 

The same is true of Mr. Davis' kingdoms. These king- 
doms are necessarily composed of species, and the "unfold- 
ing" of the lower kingdoms into higher kingdoms could 
only be accomplished through the transmutation of lower 
species into higher species. In this case the fossil remains 
of the transitional forms through which this development 
was accomplished should abound in the strata of the earth. 
While we claim no similarity between the operations of 
Darwin's law of "Natural Selection or survival of the fittest" 
and Mr. Davis' law of "Association, Progession and Devel- 
opment," yet the results are identical, they each require 
what no scientist has yet been able to discover, transitional 
forms, as shown by the following: 

" 'If Mr. Darwin's theory be true, the number of varie- 
ties differing one from another a very little, must have been 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 93 

indefinitely great, so great indeed as probably far to exceed 
the number of individuals which have existed of any one 
variety. If this be true, it would be more probable that no 
two specimens preserved as fossils should be of one variety 
than that we should find a great many specimens collected 
from a very few varieties, provided, of course, the chances 
of preservation are equal for all individuals.' 'It is really 
strange that vast number of perfectly similar specimens 
should be found, the chances against their perpetuation as 
fossils are so great ; but it is also very strange that the speci- 
mens should be so exactly alike as they are, if, in fact, they 
came and vanished by a gradual change.' 

"Mr. Darwin attempts to show cause why we should 
believe a priori that intermediate varieties would exist in 
lesser numbers than the more extreme forms; but though 
they would doubtless do so sometimes, it seems too much to 
assert that they would do so generally, still less universally. 
Now little less than universal and very marked inferiority 
in numbers would account for the absence of certain series 
of minutely intermediate fossil specimen. The mass of 
paleontological evidence is indeed overwhelmingly against 
minute and gradual modification. It is true that when once 
an animal has obtained powers of flight, its means of diffu- 
sion are indefinitely increased, and we might expect to find 
many relics of an aerial form and few of its antecedent state 
— with nascent wings just commencing their suspensory 
power. Yet had such a slow mode of origin, as Darwinians 
(or Davis) contend for, operated exclusively in all cases, it 
is absolutely incredible that birds, bats, and pterodactyls, 
should have left the remains they have, and yet not a single 
relic be preserved in any one instance of any of these differ- 



94 THE REALITY AND 

ent form of wing in their incipient and relatively imperii 
functional condition! 

"Whenever the remains of bats have been found they 
have presented the exact type of existing forms, and there is 
as yet no indication of the conditions of an incipient eleva- 
tion from the ground. 

"The pterodactyls, again, though a numerous group, are 
all true and perfect pterodactyls, though surely some of the 
many incipient forms, which on the Darwinian theory have 
existed, must have had a good change of preservation. * * 

"But the number of forms represented by many individ- 
uals, yet by no transitional ones, is so great, that only two 
or three can be selected as examples. Thus those remarkable 
fossil reptiles, the Ichthyosauria and Plesiosauria, extended, 
through the secondary period, probably over the greater part 
of the globe. Yet no single transitional form has yet been 
met with in spite of the multitudinous individuals preserved. 
Again, with their modern representatives, the Cetacea, one 
or two aberrant forms alone have been found, but no series 
of transitional ones indicating minutely the line of descent. 
This group, the whales, is a very marked one, and it is curi- 
ous, on Darwinian principles, that so few instances tending to 
indicate its mode of origin should have presented themselves. 
Here, as in the bats, we might surely expect that some relics 
of unquestionably incipient stages of its development would 
have been left. 

"The singular order Chelonia, including the tortoises, 
turtles, and terrapins (or fresh-water tortoises,) is another 
instance of an extreme form without any, as yet known, 
transitional stages. Another group may be finally men- 
tioned, viz., the frogs and toads, ' anourous Batrachians, of 
which we have at present no relic of any kind linking them 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 95 

onto the Eft group on the one hand, or to reptiles on the 
other." (Mivart, The Genesis of Species, pp. 142, 143, 144, 
145, 146, 147.) 

In discussing the transmutation of species, Professor 
Winchell says : 

"The great stubborn fact which every form of the theory 
encounters at the very outset is that, notwithstanding vari- 
ations, we are ignorant of a single instance of the derivation 
of one good species from another. The world has been ran- 
sacked for an example, and occasionally it has seemed for a 
time as if an instance had been found of the origination of 
a genuine species by so-called natural agencies ; but we only 
give utterance to the admissions of all the recent advocates 
of derivative theories when we announce that the long- 
sought Bxperimentum Cruris has not been discovered." 
(Doctrine of Evolution, p. 54.) 

Noting the absence of transitional forms in the geologi- 
cal strata, Professor Winchell, citing M. Joachim Barraude, 
says : 

"Eleven family types are known in the primordiarfauna. 
These are as trenchantly differentiated from each other as 
the same types in any succeeding age, or even in the actual 
fauna. For example, among crustaceans we have trilobites, 
phyllopods, and astracods. But between a trilobite like 
paradoxus, somewhat lobster-like, and an astracod like pri- 
mitis, a little bivalve crustacean, the difference of conforma- 
tion is so marked, that, were we to refer them to any com- 
mon ancestry, we should necessarily conceive of a multitude 
of intermediate forms which must have existed before para- 
doxides, and the astracods co-existing in the primordial 
fauna. Such intermediate forms have left no trace of them- 
selves, either in the rocks, which enclose the primordial 



96 THE REALITY AND 

fauna, or in those which represent the anterior ages. Simi- 
lar observations apply to the contrasts between any two of 
the family types of the primordial. It may also be observed 
that such observations apply to the family types of all the 
palaeozoic ages. The forms intermediate between them are 
universally wanting. One cannot conceive why, in all rocks 
whatever, and in all countries upon the two continents, all 
relics of the intermediate types should have vanished. 

"This disappearance of intermediate types is so general 
and so constant in the series of geologic ages, and over the 
entire surface of the explored formations, that it seems im-. 
possible to explain it except by regarding it as the effect of 
a grand law of nature. 

"The absence of intermediate forms characterizes the 
gaps between genera and even species, as well as between 
orders and families." {Ibid., pp. 139, 140.) 

Dr. Patterson, in commenting upon the failure of scien- 
tists to discover any trace of intermediate forms, says: 

"M. Barraude, * * * noticing the fact that no trilobites 
are found below the Silurian rocks, though remains of plants 
and marine worms are preserved there, and that the trilobites 
appear at once in great abundance, thus comments upon its 
bearing upon Darwinism : 'All these sudden manifestations 
of life under new typical forms, appearing constantly and 
everywhere with the plenitude of their distinctive charac- 
ters, are in complete discordance with the hypothesis of a 
gradual development by insensible and successive variations, 
since such a transformation can only be wrought out through 
and indefinite series of intermediate forms, of which no 
trace has been found in any country.' 

* * "The Lower Orders should Appear First, but 
Frequently the Higher Orders Precede them. 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 97 

"The theory is devised expressly to account for the deri- 
vation of the higher animals from the lower. Of course the 
lower orders, being the parents, should come into being be- 
fore their children. But, in many regions, the contrary rule 
prevails, and the higher orders come into being first — the 
children, * * are born before their parents. The four-gilled 
cephalopods are found in the Silurian strata, but the two- 
gilled, their Darwinian ancestors, are not found below the 
lias. They are many thousands of years younger than their 
children. Prof. Mivart goes on to notice another in- 
stance with the following remarks (Genesis, p. 123.) : 'If 
we admit the hypothesis of gradual and minute modifica- 
tions, the succession of organisms on this planet must have 
been a progress from the more general to the more special, 
and no doubt this has been the case in the majority of in- 
stances. Yet it cannot be denied that! some of the most re- 
cently formed fossils show a structure singularly more gen- 
eralized than any exhibited by older forms ; while others are 
more specialized than are any allied creatures of the existing 
creation/ * * * 

"But the most satisfactory and comprehensive illustra- 
tion of this subject is found in the exhaustive work of M. 
Barraude, on The Silurian System of Bohemia. * * * Hav- 
ing examined that system from Spain to Bohemia, he gives 
a diagram, showing the percentage of the simpler forms 
which might be expected to precede those more highly de- 
veloped, and he contrasts it with the actual numbers of 
species found. The contrast between the theory and the fact 
is obvious and startling. Of trilobites, for instance, 108 
species are found in the lower strata, where, according to 
the theory, none at all should appear. Then of sponges there 
are only two species, where the theory requires 100 ; while 



98 THE REALITY AND 

of the polyps and foraminifera, which should be as numer- 
ous, there are none at all! 

"One should read the whole of this work to appreciate 
the force of this general conclusion. It abounds with such 
observations as this (found on p. 130) : 'When we thus 
consider that the relative development of trilobites and 
mollusks underwent a gradual diminution to give place to 
lower forms, we recognize the fact that it presents an order 
diametrically opposed to that which ought to be observed 
according to the theories.' He shows that the foraminiferse, 
the next in structure above the eozoon, being free from the 
terrible 'struggle for existence/ since they would have had 
the world to themselves according to the theory, should have 
been numerous in the Cambrian system beyond all parallel; 
whereas they do not appear at all. 'Thus the foraminiferse, 
the immediate descendants of eozoon by filiation and trans- 
formation, ought to have propagated themselves under all 
imaginable forms during the ante-primordial era.' Whereas 
they do not appear till the mesozoic era, many millions of 
years later, and successfully keep the field in the tertiary and 
the quaternary periods against higher forms of life. Many 
other equally rebellious families lift up their heels against 
Mr. Darwin's theory. * * * 

"The crustaceans adopted the policy of putting their best 
foot foremost. Trilobites two feet long, and of from twelve 
to twenty segments, appeared before those of six or nine. 
The pteregatus ricylinus, a lobster-like crustacean, could 
have sent specimens six feet long and two feet broad to the 
London market some million of years ago. Take, for ex- 
ample, the Mount Diablo oyster shells, fifteen inches long. 
Can our Fish Commissioners now match either these old- 
fashioned oysters or lobsters, with all our modern progress ? 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 99 

That old lobster would have made protoplasm of them had 
they incautiously tried any experiments with him. Its an- 
tennae were armed with powerful claws. It had four pairs 
of great serrated jaws, the largest as large as a man's hand. 
It was wide-a-wake too, having ten eyes on the top of its 
head, and ten below. It had also two great paddles at its 
side, and a great flat tail, and could reverse engines, and 
dart backwards on its prey. We cannot match it now-a- 
days. The plants were gigantic in those early days. Our 
modern mare's tails are about the thickness of one's finger ; 
those of the coal measures are as thick as a flour barrel. 

"But the reptiles of the old world are by far the most 
astonishing and terrible for size. The labyrinthodon, a 
newt, had teeth three or four inches in length. The ancient 
iguanodon was a gigantic biped deinosaur, twenty feet or 
more in height, with legs like those of an ostrich, but thick 
as those of an elephant, and an immense tail on which it 
rested, making a tripod with its legs. (Dawson, p. 203.) 
The megalosaurus was as large, but far more swift and ter- 
rible. The celosaurus had a thigh bone sixty-four inches 
long, and thick in proportion; it stood ten feet high, was 
fifty feet long, and must have weighed as much as a dozen 
modern crocodiles. The bats of the mesozoic age were as 
large as eagles, and one specimen was twenty feet in the 
spread of its wings (p. 206). The plesiosaurus were fifty feet 
long, with long necks like cranes for gobbling up their prey 
from the shallow waters. The pliosaur had a head eight 
feet long, armed with conical teeth a foot in length. It had 
four paddles, each seven feet in length. The sea-serpent 
has been found by geologists, in St. Peter's Mount, near 
Maestrecht, with a skull three feet long, and a body not less 
than eighty feet! No modern sea-serpent can equal that! 

L.rfC. 



100 THE REALITY AND 

After describing its terrible armament, Mr. Dawson very 
fitly observes: * Perhaps no creature more fully realize, in 
the enormous length and terrible powers, the great tanninim 
(the stretched-out or extended reptiles) of the fifth day of 
the Mosiac record.' (p. 217.) Of another, a land animal, the 
dinotherium, he says: 'The skull was three feet four 
inches in length, and when provided with its soft parts, in- 
cluding a snout or trunk, it must have been at least five 
or six feet long. Such a head if it belonged to a quadruped 
of ordinary proportions, must represent an animal as large 
in proportion to an elephant as an elephant to an ox/ (p. 
251). He describes a tortoise with a shell twelve feet long, 
and this huge roof must have covered an animal eighteen 
feet long and seven feet high. Of an ancient four-horned 
antelope, or deer, the livatherium, he says: 'It is supposed 
to have been of elephantine size, and of great power and 
swiftness.' (p. 254.) But why refer to books? You can see 
the resurrected mammoth in the various museums, as much 
larger than the circus elephant as the elephant is larger than 
a cart-horse. This gigantic beast plants his foot squarely on 
the breast of Darwin's doctrine and squashes it into the mire 
forever." (Errors of Evolution, pp. 231-236, inc.) 

Let us bear in mind that the same evidence that 
"squashes" Darwin's theory of the development of lower 
forms into higher, also "squashes" Mr. Davis' teaching of 
the "unfolding" of lower kingdoms into higher kingdoms. 
And were either theory correct geology would have as faith- 
fully preserved the intermediate forms, as she has the "spe- 
cific fossils," and there would be no gaps in the record but a 
gradual "unbroken genealogical succession," which unfortu- 
nately for both theories is not the case, for we find the 
geological record very incomplete. 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 101 

In answering the objection that the intermediate forms 
may be buried in the breaks of the earth's strata, in citing 
Professor Agassiz, Dr. Patterson replies : 

" ' However long and frequent the breaks in the geologi- 
cal series may be in which they would bury their transition 
types, there are many points in the succession where the 
connection is perfectly distinct and unbroken ; and it is just 
at these points that new organic groups are introduced with- 
out any intermediate forms to link them with the preceding 
ones.' * * * • 

"Geology knows nothing of the missing intermediate 
forms. But had they ever existed, she would have preserved 
them as faithfully as the specific fossils she has kept safely 
so faithfully and so long. The conclusion is irresistible, 
that the multitude of intermediate forms, invented by Mr. 
Darwin, never had any existence save in his own brain. 
They are only ghosts seen in his mind's eye. But as they 
are vital to his theory, with their disappearance his theory 
melts into such stuff as dreams are made of. * * * 

"The Geological Record of Life on our Earth in Former 
Times, Contradicts Darwinism. 

"We have seen that the present state of the world offers 
a complete contradiction to the theory. But here, as in the 
case of spontaneous generation, there is a tendency to im- 
agine that though species may be stable now, having, as it 
were, set and hardened in the mould, they were more plastic 
in the early and formative period of the world's young life. 
It is therefore important to turn to the record of the stone 
book, and learn what it teaches about the early introduction 
of life upon the earth. And, happily, the record, though 
not perfect, is quite full and quite legible. Though some 
leaves are wanting, the record on those preserved is very 



102 THE REALITY AND 

plain; and the illustrations are abundant, amounting to 
many hundreds of thousands, not of wood engravings of the 
objects, but the actual fossils themselves, some of which are 
to be seen in any geological cabinet. Let us then ask what 
the geological record says about the derivation of species 
from lower forms by imperceptible, gradual, and slow vari- 
ations. And the answer given by the best geologists is, 
that * * * 

"There has not been Time during all this immense dura- 
tion, for the Slow and Gradual Evolution of Widely Diversi- 
fied Geological Specimens from a Fezv Common, Simple 
Ancestors. 

"While geology only presented a few scores of speci- 
mens in her cabinets, it was possible to suppose these might 
have been, in some way or other, developed from each other 
in some calculable period. But since her discoverers have 
accumulated many thousands of species, and these so widely 
differing from each other in size and shape and function 
and habitation, as the mammoth and the oyster, it has be- 
come almost self-evident to all geologists that at Mr. Dar- 
win's rate of development, ten times or a hundred times the 
actual duration of the earth would not be sufficient for the 
development of the oyster into the Mammoth ; not counting 
the antecedent period needed for developing the moneron 
into the oyster. And this is a fatal objection. It kills Dar- 
winism before its birth, as an abortion which could never 
have had a natural existence.' , (Ibid., pp. 226, 227, 228, 
237.) 

We desire to call attention to the fact that the theory of 
development or Darwinism which teaches that "there is a 
tendency to imagine that, though species may be stable now, 
having, as it were, set and hardened in the mould, they were 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 103 

more plastic in the early and formative period of the world's 
young life," is in absolute harmony with Davis' theory as to 
why we do not now see the different species springing up 
spontaneously around us and "unfolding from lower king- 
doms into higher ones ;" as shown by the following : "If by 
perpetual and harmonious development nature has produced 
plants, brutes, and man, -why do we not see these different 
organizations springing up spontaneously, without a germ, 
from the ever-advancing earth? The answer is, that Na- 
ture is a vast and powerful organization; and that it was 
originally designed to unfold through countless series, de- 
grees and groups of physical and sentient organizations, the 
material and spiritual constitution of Man. Therefore, when 
Nature arrived at the point where she could accomplish this 
portion of her mission, it was no longer necessary nor pos- 
sible that she should continue in the old path of specific 
formation. The ultimate use of Nature is to individualize 
and immortalize the human spiritual principle. It is proper, 
therefore, to consider Nature as a mighty and magnificent 
Machine, and the Divine Mind as the omnipotent and om- 
niscient Artisan. Now we may consider the machine as per- 
fect — as not wanting in anything — as being complete and 
adequate to the great ultimate end for the accomplishment of 
which it was instituted. That Nature is perfect and com- 
plete in all her parts, is demonstrated by the perpetually pre- 
sented fact that human beings are born, and that human spir- 
its ascend to higher spheres. If, then, God has constructed 
this great Machine upon principles of unchanging order, 
harmony and progression — and if it is perfect even to the 
adjustment of an atom — it is unreasonable to inquire why 
he is not still engaged in constructing it." {The Great Har- 
monia, Vol. i., pp. 20-21.) 



104 THE REALITY AND 

And further, if the geological record proves that "there 
has not been time" for the development of Darwin's lower 
forms into higher forms and thus "kills Darwinism," it 
would apply with equal force and be as fatal to the "unfold- 
ing" of Davis' lower into higher kingdoms. 

Also the geological record contradicts the order in which 
Evolutionists would have us believe living beings appeared 
on our globe. In discussing this subject, Dr. Patterson 
says: 

"The Order in which Living Beings Appeared on our 
Earth is not at all that Demanded by the Theory, but often 
the Reverse. 

"Geology reveals to us the order of succession of the ap- 
pearance of the different classes and genera and species of 
such living beings on our globe whose remains were capable 
of preservation. We see from it that the simple forms were 
first created, shell-fish, fishes, birds, animals and last of 
all, Man. But while this is the general order, when we 
look at the particular species and genera, we find them, 
not only not in agreement with the theory of slow, regular, 
gradual improvement, but frequently in direct opposition to 
it in important lines of facts, (i.) Species ought to come in 
gradually, whereas their actual appearance is sudden, (ii.) 
The lower classes and orders and genera should always pre- 
cede the higher, whereas in many cases the higher classes 
come first, (iii.) The largest insects, birds, reptiles, and 
animals ought to have grown from the smaller, and should 
have been preceded by them; but the contrary is the fact; 
the largest came -first, (iv.) The theory demands a com- 
plete gradation of all the actual species from the lowest to 
the highest in each locality, as well as of all the intermediate 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 105 

species or connecting links between species; but there is no 
such gradation nor continuous series. 

"* * * The Various Orders and Genera should come 
in Gradually and Slowly — on the Contrary, they Appear 
Suddenly. 

"The theory is one essentially of slow, of very slow, 
progress. That is its very condition of success. But Mr. 
Darwin could not deny that new families, and new genera, 
and new species, do not generally appear gradually and 
slowly, but suddenly and in great numbers. And what ag- 
gravates the difficulty, these great changes in the forms of 

life appear almost simultaneously in the most distant places. 
* * * 

"On his theory it should not be so. The chances that the 
numberless millions of individuals of any given species, say 
mussels, should begin to vary towards the same higher form 
simultaneously are so enormously, I might say so infinitely, 
against such an accident — for it is only that in this theory — 
that they amount to a moral certainty. But this sudden ap- 
pearance of new species has happened not once only, but 
half a dozen times. It is explicable only, however, as the 
result of God's creating new races all over the earth at once." 
{Ibid., pp. 229-230.) 

Thus we find that geological evidence shows the absurd- 
ity of Mr. Davis' so-called "unequivocal knowledge" and 
demonstrates the utter worthlessness of the information ob- 
tained from "the great sphere of knowledge" while in the 
"superior condition;" that step by step the science of geology 
disproves the theory of development or the transmutation of 
species, or as Mr. Davis terms it, the "unfolding" of one 
kingdom into another and proclaims Creation. 



106 THE REALITY AND 

In presenting his views as to the origin of Man, Mr. 
Davis says : 

"It is almost impossible to contemplate Nature with a 
comprehensive, generalizing eye, and determine which to 
first term Man — whether the highest of the quadrumana, or 
the lowest of the human type — so gradual and progressive 
is the emergement of one kingdom into another. * * * 

"The primary change from the quadrumana into the 
inferior types of the human organism, is so easy and uncon- 
spicuous that, to the scientific and systematic investigator, 
the anatomatical and physiological transformation is scarcely 
perceptible. For when nature was sufficiently perfected 
to unfold, from out of her inexhaustible properties and es- 
sences, the Fish, the Saurian, the Bird, the Marsupial, and 
the Mammalial kingdoms, it had become an easy, imper- 
ceptible and a comparatively harmonious work to develop 
Man. Every atom, every element, every essence, every min- 
eral, vegetable and animal organization in Nature aspired to 
be Man! The vast spiral of ascending forms in creation 
strove to be man ; for he was the grand ultimate end which 
those forms were originally designed to accomplish. Hence 
when every form of organic life arrived at the consumma- 
tion of its development, and when Nature was spread all 
over with beauty and with good atmospheric and geograph- 
ical conditions, the earth was prepared for Man; and, by a 
universal combination and conspiration of tendencies and 
efforts on the part of each and everything, he was unfolded. 
Though at first huge and unrefined and resembling, in his 
anatomical and physiological constructions, the quadrumana 
more than any other or higher type of the animal creation, 
yet man's innate tendency was onward toward perfection, 
and hence he finally became, in his anatomy and physiology, 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 107 

what he now is — a Coronation of universal Nature and an 
Image of God !" (The Great Harmonia, Vol. i., pp. 23-24.) 

Thus we see that Mr. Davis, as Darwin or any other 
evolutionist, teaches that the quadrumana developed or "un- 
folded" into man. At the time the above quotation was 
written the whole world was laboring under the delusion that 
the ape was a quadrumana and Davis simply voiced the ig- 
norance of his time. And it was not until eleven years later, 
not until the great English naturalist, Professor Thomas 
H. Huxley, proved by comparative anatomy that every ape, 
from the lowest to the highest, is a biped with a well formed 
hand and foot, that the modern world was informed of the 
error it was teaching. Yet to-day in every school and col- 
lege in our land we find the so-called educators teaching that 
the ape is a four-handed animal, notwithstanding the fact 
that science proved this false more than forty years ago. 
With what scorn and contempt must the coming generations 
regard them, and justly so, when they realize that this false 
teaching is either the result of willful carelessness or of the 
grossest ignorance ; both are equally inexcusable and unpar- 
donable. 

In discussing the anatomy of the ape, Professor Huxley 
says: "Let us now turn to the limbs of the Gorilla. The 
terminal division of the fore limb presents no difficulty — 
bone for bone and muscle for muscle, are found to be ar- 
ranged essentially as in man, or with such minor differences 
as are found as varieties in man. The Gorilla's hand is 
clumsier, heavier, and has a thumb somewhat shorter in 
proportion than that of man; but no one has ever doubted 
its being a true hand. 

"At first sight the termination of the hind limb of the 
Gorilla looks very hand-like, and as it is still more so in 



108 THE REALITY AND 

many of the lower apes, it is not wonderful that the appel- 
lation 'Quadrumana,' or four-handed creatures, adopted 
from the older anatomists by Blumenbach, and unfortunately 
rendered current by Cuvier, should have gained such wide 
acceptance as a name for the Simian group. But the most 
cursory anatomical investigation at once proves that the re- 
semblance of the so-called 'hind hand' to a true hand, is only 
skin deep, and that, in all essential respects, the hind limb of 
the Gorilla is as truly terminated by a foot as that of 
man. * * * 

"Throughout all these modifications it must be recol- 
lected that the foot loses no one of its essential characters. 
Every Monkey and Lemur exhibits the characteristic ar- 
rangement of tarsal bones, possesses a short flexor and 
short extensor muscle, and a peronoeus longus. Varied as 
the proportions and appearance of the organ may be, the 
terminal division of the hind limb remains, in plan and 
principle of construction, a foot, and never, in those respects, 
can be confounded with a hand." (Man's Place in Nature, 
pp. 108, 109, 112.) 

Thus we see that Professor Huxley proves that Davis' 
"unequivocal knowledge" can not be depended upon and 
that there is not, nor never was such a creature as a quadru- 
mana, or four-handed animal. Nothing could more forcibly 
demonstrate the unreliability and worthlessness of the source 
of Mr. Davis' information than the fact that he believed and 
taught the existence of such a creature as a quadrumana. 

All geologists are agreed that up to a certain period in 
the world's history the higher Mammals were quadrupeds, 
and that suddenly there appeared over the entire globe a 
different order of animals, the apes, which, as we have seen, 
Professor Huxley proves are bipeds. While Mr. Davis may 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 109 

have been deceived as to the "unfolding" or gradual develop- 
ment of one kingdom unto another, it is evident that had he 
known that the apes are bipeds he must have seen that his 
so-called law of "Association, Progression and Develop- 
ment" could not explain the sudden transformation of the 
quadrupeds into bipeds. Further evidence that no such de- 
velopment occurred is shown by the fact that no transitional 
forms have ever been found. 

Since neither Mr. Davis' theory of progression nor any 
theory of evolution can explain the origin of the apes, it fol- 
lows that their origin is alone attributable to an intelligent 
Creator. It is impossible to consistently attribute the oc- 
currence of certain events in the world's history to an intel- 
ligent Creator and then suppose that the other events are the 
results of the operation of the so-called law of "Association, 
Progression and Development." 

All theories of evolution recognize Man as a development 
from the ape. But this, like the development of other lower 
into higher forms, would require innumerable intermediate 
forms, and all evidence of these transitional forms is wholly 
wanting. 

Realizing that the gap between the ape and Man was too 
wide to span by a single leap, Mr. Haeckel and other Evolu- 
tionists have advanced the theory that there was a transi- 
tional form which they termed Speechless Man, Homo- 
primogenius, commonly called the missing link, yet they ad- 
mit that no evidence of the existence of such a creature has 
ever been found. Man being, comparatively speaking, of 
recent origin his remains are found nearest the surface of 
the earth, and any transitional forms between the apes and 
Man would long since have been discovered; and the fact 



110 THE REALITY AND 

that they have not, shows that his origin could not have 
been the result of development. 

Since neither Mr. Davis' "unequivocal knowledge/' nor 
the general theory of development held by evolutionists can 
satisfactorily account for the origin of Man, we are com- 
pelled to seek elsewhere for a correct solution of his origin. 
And Creation as taught by the Bible, and which harmonizes 
with the sciences, offers the only explanation that appeals, 
not to our credulity, but to our intelligence. 

The Bible teaches that after the creation of the animals 
that "God said, Let us make Man in our image, after our 
likeness : * * ' * So God created Man in his own im- 
age, in the image of God created He him; male and female 
created He them." (Genesis, i., 26, 28.) 

Thus it is shown that so far from Man "unfolding" or 
developing, as any theory of Evolution would have us be- 
lieve, he is a creation distinct from the animals. 



CHAPTER VII. 
Mind Common to Man and the Animals. 

Love, rage, curiosity, shame., pride., joy, revenge, etc., 
are attributes of the mind and are common to Man and the 
animals, thus clearly showing that the animals as well as 
Man possess mind, and forever silencing the absurd state- 
ment that animal intelligence is due solely to instinct and 
that Man alone possesses mind. For the mind of Man and 
the mind of the animal is the same in kind, differing only 
in degree. 

"The old method of referring the intelligence exhibited 
by animals to instinct no longer finds supporters. It is ad- 
mitted by those who have studied the subject most pro- 
foundly, that the mental powers of animals and of Man are 
the same in kind, only differing in degree. * * * His 
intellectual and moral faculties can be traced in a similar 
manner. The distance between the intellect of Newton and 
that of the dog is immeasurably great, but the difference 
between him and the Bosjesman, who is unable to count 
four, is greater than between the intelligence of the latter 
and the dog." (Hudson Tuttle, The Ethics of Spiritualism, 
pp. 30, 31.) 

The following are mental attributes which the animal 
possesses in common with Man. 

Maternal Love. "We see Maternal affection exhibited 
in the most trifling details; thus, Rengger observed an 
American monkey (a Cebus) carefully driving away the 
flies which plagued her infant: and Duvaucel saw a Hylo- 

111 



112 THE REALITY AND 

bates washing the faces of her young ones in a stream. So 
intense is the grief of female monkeys for the loss of their 
young that it invariably caused the death of certain kinds 
kept under confinement by Brehmi in N. Africa. 

Orphan monkeys were always adopted and carefully 
guarded by the other monkeys, both males and females. 
One female baboon had so capacious a heart that she 
not only adopted young monkeys of other species, but stole 
young dogs and cats, which she continually carried 
about. Her kindness, however, did not go so far as to share 
her food with her adopted offspring, at which Brehm was 
surprised, as his monkeys always divided everything quite 
fairly with their own young ones. An adopted kitten 
scratched this affectionate baboon, who certainly had a fine 
intellect, for she was much astonished at being scratched, 
and immediately examined the kitten's feet, and without 
more ado, bit off the claws." (The Descent of Man, p. 79.) 

Love. The love that animals manifest for each other 
and for their masters is a character so common as to scarcely 
need mention. "A dog is the only thing on this earth that 
luvs you more than he luvs himself. " 

Rage. "Several observers have stated that monkeys 
certainly dislike being laughed at; and they sometimes in- 
vent imaginary offenses. In the Zoological Gardens I saw 
a baboon who always got into a furious rage when his keeper 
took out a letter or book and read it aloud to him ; and his 
rage was so violent that, as I witnessed on one occasion, he 
bit his own leg till the blood flowed." (Ibid., p. 80.) 

Curiosity. "I then placed a live snake in a paper bag, 
with the mouth loosely closed, in one of the larger compart- 
ments. One of the monkeys immediately approached, cau- 
tiously opened the bag a little, peeped in, and instantly 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 113 

dashed away. Then I witnessed what Brehm has described, 
for monkey after monkey, with head raised high and turned 
on one side, could not resist taking a momentary peep into 
the upright bag, at the dreadful object lying quietly at the 
bottom." (Ibid., p. 81.) 

Shame. "There can, I think, be no doubt that a dog 
feels shame, as distinct from fear, and something very like 
modesty when begging too often for food." (Ibid., p. 80.) 
Doubtless, there are few who have not observed the shame 
displayed by a dog as he hangs his head and walks away 
when scolded. 

Pride. "Animals manifestly feel emulation. They love 
approbation or praise; and a dog carrying a basket for his 
master exhibits in a high degree self-complacency or pride." 
(Ibid., p. 80.) 

Revenge. "Dr. R. A. Kammerer, one of the best known 
of the local veterinarians, has a wonderful story of an intel- 
ligent horse that also showed remarkable affection for a cat. 
The horse was not known to the doctor himself, but he has 
heard the story vouched for by an out-of-town V. S. 

"The horse belongs to a physician," said he, "and always 
showed great delight in making the daily calls with the 
doctor. When in the stable his almost constant companion 
was a cat, who spent most of her time perched upon his 
back. 

"One day the cat gave birth to some kittens, and the 
horse became very jealous of the new comers. About the 
same time the doctor purchased an automobile and the horse 
was given to the doctor's children. 

"He felt keenly his downward step and missed greatly 
the daily drives to the homes of the patients, where the 
doctor now went in his horseless carriage. 



114 THE REALITY AND 

"One day the automobile was left standing in the yard 
where the horse was running free. A few moments -later 
the old cat and her kittens climbed into the rig and were 
soon enjoying a quiet nap on one of the cushioned seats. 

"That was too much -for the horse. Quietly he went 
over to the automobile and took the old cat in his mouth, 
just as he had seen her carry the kittens, and placed her 
safely on the ground. 

"Then, without paying any attention to the other mem- 
bers of the cat's family, he suddenly began to kick the auto- 
mobile to pieces before anyone could interfere. 

"Three of the kittens were killed and the automobile was 
badly wrecked by the horse, who felt that he was getting 
square with everyone at once." (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 
August 10, 1902.) 

Observation. "I have heard many stories of horses who 
showed intelligence out of the ordinary," said Dr. Charles 
Doerrie, of Boonville, Mo. * * * "but I call to mind one 
case in particular where the intelligent animal was owned 
by myself. 

"She was a splendid black mare, rather under-sized, and 
at the time I speak of, was ten years old. 

"My wife and I frequently visited a farm about nine 
miles from town and always drove 'Nelly,' as we called the 
animal, on our trips. There were many turns from the road, 
but we always went in a straight direction, not making any 
turns until we came to a place in the road where a sign-post, 
pointing the other direction, said, 'Boonville, seven miles.' 

"Now the mare had made the trip so often that we 
never paid any attention to her on the way. and she always 
turned at the right place. 

"One day some boys, in an attempt to play a joke, 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 115 

changed all the sign-posts along the road, and the seven-mile 
sign was moved to a turn in the road three miles nearer to 
town. • 

"The same day we started on a drive to the farm and 
Nelly jogged along as usual until she came to the sign. She 
was almost past it when she saw it. She stopped still, as if 
considering whether she might not have traveled part of the 
way in her sleep and then she turned slowly down the new 
road. 

"I turned her back the right way, but it was with diffi- 
culty that I got her past the sign. She seemed to think I did 
not know where I was going. 

"The next day the signs were put in their right positions, 
and .then everything was all right again." (St. Louis Post- 
Dispatch, August 19, 1902.) 

This Horse Loves Woman Only. "My favorite horse 
is the one I purchased when I came from Chicago College 
and settled in Clinton, fourteen years ago," said Dr. L. M. 
Klutz, a veterinary surgeon of Clinton, Mo. "He is dun- 
colored and was bred by Sam Hazzard, the once noted pacing 
horse, who made the circuit of Southern Illinois, Missouri 
and Kansas, and had a record of 2.17 j£. 

"He was the first horse I ever bought in Missouri. I 
still own him and money cannot buy him. He is now the 
family horse and they feel that they could not do without 
him. He is cared for with utmost zeal, is insured, and 
several years ago I had the famous equestrian painter, 
Booker, come all the way from New York to paint a life- 
size picture of him, which now hangs in my office at Clinton. 

"He possesses one of the most commendable peculiari- 
ties that one could imagine. He is unusually fond of ladies. 
The only reflection that can be cast upon him being his utter 



116 THE REALITY AND 

disregard of the ordinary proprieties by loving them all. 
Any woman or girl who shows the slightest appreciation of 
him is instantly engraved upon his big heart, and he shows 
his affection in a most apparent manner. 

"When a woman, who shows by her actions that she 
desires to be friendly with him, passes by the place in which 
he is kept, he will run to the fence, poke his nose over it, rub 
his head against her and hold up his head and attempt our 
human kiss in an unmistakable manner. 

"All that is necessary is for a woman to raise her hand 
as though she would like to stroke his neck, and he is right 
there with his horse caresses. A man may do the same 
thing, and he doesn't accord him the least attention." (St. 
Louis Post-Dispatch, August 19, 1902.) 

Happiness. "Happiness is never better exhibited than 
by young animals, such as puppies, kittens, lambs, etc., when 
playing together, like our own children. Even insects play 
together, as has been discovered by that excellent observer, 
P. Huber, who saw ants chasing and pretending to bite each 
other, like so many puppies." (Ibid., p. 77.) 

Magnanimity. "A great dog scorns the snarling of a 
little dog, and this may be called magnanimity." (Ibid., 
p. 80.) 

Imitation. Darwin, in citing Desor, says, "that no 
animal voluntarily imitates an action performed by man, 
until in the ascending scale we come to monkeys, which are 
well known to be rediculous mockers." (Ibid., p. 82.) 

Our observations lead us to different conclusions. Mac 
was given us when a puppy, and has been raised very much 
as a member of the family. He has never been associated 
much with other dogs, and is very human in many of his 
actions and a very observing animal, and he certainly tries 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 117 

as best he can to do as he sees us do. For example, having 
observed us sitting on one step with our feet resting on the 
next step below, he comes and seats himself on one step with 
his fore- feet on the next step below, as nearly in imitation of 
us as he can ; though he was never trained to do this, he never 
sits on the steps in any other way. 

Mrs. Gregg, of 1224 Hickory street, has a remarkably 
intelligent cat ; he is a half-breed Maltese and Angora. His 
name is Bob; he is eleven years old, and weighs eighteen 
pounds. When Bob was a kitten, Mrs. Gregg lived in the 
country. At a very early age Bob displayed a fondness for 
the chase and was in the habit of climbing trees in his effort 
to catch birds; while thus engaged, he was frequently at- 
tacked by quite a number of Blue Jays, whose vicious on- 
slaughts often threatened to knock him off the limbs. On 
one of these occasions Mr. Gregg came to Bob's assistance 
with his gun, and shot some of the birds ; Bob seemed to be 
delighted at this fortunate turn of affairs, and by way of 
manifesting his appreciation of the service rendered him, he 
hastened down, picked up the dead birds and carried them 
to his master. Since then, Bob has frequently accompanied 
his master hunting, and always retrieves his game as nicely 
as the best trained dog would do. Bob is careful not to 
mutilate the birds in retrieving them, but after bringing them 
to his master, he insists upon being allowed to eat them. We 
never before heard of a cat retrieving. 

Bob has very good table manners, too; when placed at 
the table he carries the food to his mouth with his forepaw, 
never putting his mouth to the plate, unless the pieces are so 
large he cannot otherwise manage them ; but if fed from the 
floor, he eats like any other cat ; when he finishes a meal he 
always washes his face. 



118 THE REALITY AND 

Bob has observed how the door is opened and he can 
turn the knob and always open the door if it swings from 
him, and sometimes if it opens toward him, but not always. 

]^e does not like babies and will not stay in the room 
where they are, being so jealous of any affection shown 
them, having always been accustomed to receive all the pet- 
ting himself. But he is fond of larger children, playing 
hide and seek with them just as they do; a child can hide 
and he will hunt until he finds it, then he will hide and wait 
until he is found. 

He prefers dogs to cats and his chum was a neighbor's 
dog; the dog was recently stolen and now Bob is disconso- 
late. Bob's remarkable intelligence and varied accomplish- 
ments have attracted the notice of the local press ; The Post- 
Dispatch of March 23rd, 1902, says: "Everybody in the 
neighborhood of Thirteenth and Hickory streets knows the 
big Gregg cat. As well might one look in the. Siamese 
jungle for a native who never heard of the white elephant 
as to seek around the Gregg residence, for someone who 
does not know all about the big cat that goes hunting with 
Mr. Gregg and brings in the birds ; that washes its face after 
it eats ; that wakes and sleeps by the clock ; that eats at table, 
and has a dog for a playmate. 

"All the neighborhood knows that the Gregg cat's name 
is Bob, and that he is just as much a member of the Gregg 
family circle as though he were a little girl or boy." 

Memory. "I had a dog who was savage and averse to 
all strangers, and I purposely tried his memory after an 
absence of five years and two days. I went near the stable 
where he lived and shouted to him in my old manner; he 
obeyed me exactly as if I had parted with him only a half 
an hour before. A train of old associations, dormant during 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 119 

five years, had thus been instantaneously awakened in his 
mind." (Ibid., p. 83.) 

The above incident affords striking evidence of memory 
in the animal, but doubtless, there are many who can recall 
similar incidents. 

Humor. "Dogs show what may be fairly called a sense 
of humor as distinct from mere play; if a bit of stick or 
other such object be thrown to one he will often carry it 
away for a short distance, and then squatting down with it on 
the ground close before him, will wait until his master comes 
quite close to take it away. The dog will then seize it and 
rush away in triumph, repeating the same manceuver and 
evidently enjoying the practical joke." (Ibid., p. 80.) 

In discussing the difference between Men and animals, 
Prof. G. M. Dupart, of the University of Lyons, says : 
"The time is no more when Descartes refused to recognize 
reasoning powers in the animals. 

"Nor do we live in the days of Michelet, who pleaded 
eloquently for our 'lower brothers;' we put the monkeys 
and the dogs in the same class with ourselves when we wish 
to study psychology, and find them and all the other animals 
lower in the animal hierarchy much easier to experiment 
upon than Man, for whose investigation along certain lines 
moral considerations place invincible obstacles. 

"It has usually been regarded as essentially and charac- 
teristically human to possess the reflective power which 
permits us to reason, be scientific, exert the will, and to act 
morally. But it is no longer so. We are obliged to see in 
Men and animals representations of the same nature, the 
same sentiments, the same motive conceptions, in brief, a 
mental life obeying the same laws. 

"Even Leibnitz said that we are empirical, tenative, or 



120 t THE REALITY AND 

experimental during the largest part of our existence, and 
that we are related to the animals who are always empirical, 
and whose consecutive ideas are the shadows of our own 
reasoning power. . 

"In our own days it has been perceived that animals are 
creatures of habit, that they obey its dictates without taking 
cognizance of them as such. Herein we distinguish Man 
from them, for he deliberately employs abstract concepts, 
considers habits in themselves. 

"But there is not a person among us who dares to deny 
to the brutes perception, imagination, memory, association 
of ideas, a certain degree of generalizing power, emotivity, 
desire and a complex mental activity respecting conceptions, 
which themselves are complex. 

"Thus that mysterious word, 'instinct/ which hovers so 
darkly above animal existence, becomes a phenomenon easier 
and easier of explanation. Man himself is not totally de- 
prived of instinctive activity. 

"This is a convincing argument and proof of the fact 
that instinct is perfectly in accord and congenial with the 
other psychic phenomena and activities. The instincts of the 
animals merely are more differentiated, appearing and dis- 
appearing naturally in their usual course." (Post-Dispatch, 
St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 3, 1901.) 

After discussing the various attributes of the mind, as 
displayed by animals, Darwin says : "Of all the faculties 
of the human mind, it will, I presume, be admitted that 
Reason stands at the summit. Only a few persons now dis- 
pute that animals possess some power of reasoning. Animals 
may constantly be seen to pause, deliberate, and resolve. It 
is a significant fact, that the more the habits of any particu- 
lar animal are studied by a naturalist, the more he attributes 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 121 

to reason and the less to unlearned instincts." (Ibid., p. 84.) 
Reason. When we painted our back hall and kitchen 
floor, for some reason the paint did not dry sufficiently by 
morning so we could use the kitchen. When evening time 
came, the paint v/as still too moist to step on without leaving 
footprints. 

Every once in a while during the day, Mac, our Scotch 
Terrier, before referred to, would sit up, bark, and beg 
us to let him in the kitchen ; but this, of course, we could not 
do. It was not so difficult putting him off during the day, 
but when supper time came, he seemed determined to make 
us let him in the kitchen. 

Anyone who knows Mac, will readily agree that make 
is the proper word, for a more persistent and determined 
animal to get what he wants, we never knew. Of course, 
he is dreadfully spoiled ; we have always treated him as if he 
were one of us. A common saying among us is that, "Mac 
does not know he is a dog, but thinks he is just as good as 
white folks." So, as we said before, when evening came 
Mac was determined to make some of us open the kitchen 
door for him. We could not move or look at him but he 
would sit up on his hind legs and bark, his way of asking 
for anything he wants, and in this case he wanted the door 
opened that communicated with the kitchen. He tormented 
us so that finally we concluded to let him out front into 
the street ; ordinarily that was a great treat, but at this time 
it did not satisfy him at all ; he came in directly ; we let him 
out and he ran towards the kitchen. To obtain any peace at 
all we had to scold him, and this we hated to do, first, be- 
cause he is such a pet ; second, he takes a scolding so to heart 
and grieves and pouts over it just like a spoiled child. But 
the scolding quieted him, and we saw nothing more of him 



122 THE REALITY AND 

until about 8 o'clock, when the painter came to see what was 
wrong with the paint that it did not dry more quickly. 

You can imagine our surprise when, upon opening the 
door between the dining room and kitchen, to find Mac 
standing in the kitchen door, deliberately waging his stub 
tail, as much as to say, "Well, you see I did get in the 
kitchen after all." 

Our front hall and stairs are separated from the back 
hall and stairs by a door, and this door was closed and 
bolted, so he could not have gone that way ; but the upper 
hall extends the entire length of the house, so it is possible 
to go up the front stairs, cross the hall and down the back 
stairs, into the back hall, and then into the kitchen. That 
was the only way he could have managed it, and his foot- 
prints in the moist paint plainly told that was what he did. 
After that when the bell rang and we would close the door 
between the back hall and front hall to keep him from the 
front door, he would run up the back stairs, cross the hall, 
down the front stairs and arrive at the front door almost 
with us, plainly showing he remembered how he had gone 
before. This was an entirely new way for Mac to go, and 
he could only have studied it out by hard thought and much 
reasoning. The door between the front hall and back hall 
is seldom closed; and if it is sometimes accidentally closed, 
all he had been accustomed to do was, to scratch on the 
door and it was opened for him. The idea of his going 
up the front stairs, crossing the hall and down the back 
stairs and into the kitchen, was all thought out by him 
and acted upon as his own solution of the difficulty. No 
child could have reasoned it out more clearly than he did. 

The Weekly Constitution, Atlanta, Ga., Nov. 18, 1901, 
says: "A farmer trapped a large red fox and carried it 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 123 

home and shut it up in his corn crib until he could tell the 
neighbors and plan for a fox chase. The next morning the 
fox was gone. The fox had worked away on the inside 
and loosened a board, but he could not get out unless the 
board was held up from the outside. The farmer then 
found tracks of another fox, no doubt his mate, who had 
come and helped the prisoner to escape." 

Falkenstein, as quoted by Hartmann, gives the following 
account of a captive gorilla : 

"In the course of a few weeks he became so accustomed 
to his surroundings, and to the people whom he knew, that 
he was allowed to run about at liberty, without fear that he 
would make any attempt to escape. He was never chained, 
nor confined to a cage, and was watched only in the way that 
little children are watched when they are at play. He was 
so conscious of his own helplessness that he clung to human 
companionship, and displayed in this manner a wonderful 
dependence and trustfulness. He showed no trace of mis- 
chievous, malicious, or savage qualities, but was sometimes 
self-willed. He expressed the ideas which occurred to him 
by different sounds, one of which was the characteristic 
tone of importunate petition, while others expressed fright 
or horror, and in rare instances, a sullen and defiant growl 
might be heard. 

"In his moods of exuberant satisfaction and simple 
pleasure, he might be seen to rub his breast with both fists, 
while raising himself on his hind legs. Moreover, he often 
expressed his feelings after quite a human fashion, by clap- 
ping his hands together, an action which no one had taught 
him; and he executed such wild dances, sometimes over- 
balancing himself, reeling to and fro, and whirling round, 
that we were often disposed to think that he must be drunk. 



124 THE REALITY AND 

Yet he was only drunk with pleasure and this impelled him 
to display his strength in the wildest gambols. 

"His dexterity in eating was particularly remarkable. 
If any of the other apes chanced to enter his chamber, noth- 
ing was safe from them; they snatched greedily at every- 
thing, only to throw it away with a certain aversion, or 
carelessly to let it drop. The gorilla behaved quite differ- 
ently : he took up every cup or glass with instinctive care, 
clasped the vessel with both hands, and set it down again 
so softly and carefully that I cannot remember his breaking 
a single article of our household goods. Yet we never 
taught the creature the use of our vessels and other manu- 
factured articles, since we wished to bring him to Europe, 
as far as possible in a state of nature. His behavior at meal- 
times was quiet and mannerly; he only took as much as he 
could hold with his thumb, fore and middle finger, and 
looked on with indifference when any of the different forms 
of food heaped up before him were taken away. If, how- 
ever, nothing was given him, he growled impatiently, looked 
narrowly at all the dishes from his place at table, and ac- 
companied every plate carried off by the negro boy with an 
angry snarl or a short, resentful cough and sometimes he 
sought to seize the arm of the passer-by in order to express 
his displeasure more plainly by a bite or a blow. In another 
minute he would play with the negroes as with his fellows, 
and this distinguished him altogether from other apes, and 
especially from baboons, who appear to feel an instinctive 
hatred against many of the black race, and take a peculiar 
pleasure in displaying their animosity against them. 

"He drank by suction, stooping over the vessel without 
even putting his hands into it, or upsetting it, and in the case 
of smaller vessels, he carried them to his mouth. * * * His 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. ?25 

cleanliness was remarkable, for if, by accident, he touched 
a spider's web, or rubbish of any kind, he sought to brush it 
off with absurd horror, or held out his hands to have it done 
for him. There was no offensive smell about him. It was 
his favorite amusement to play and paddle about in the 
water, nor did the fact that he had just taken a bath prevent 
him from amusing himself by rolling in the sand with other 
apes immediately afterwards. His good humor and shyness, 
or rather roguishness, deserves special mention as his 
strongest characteristic. When he was chastised, as it was 
necessary to do at first, he never resented the punishment, 
but came up with such a beseeching air, clinging to my feet, 
and looking up with an expressive air which disarmed all 
displeasure. When he was anxious to obtain anything, no 
child could have expressed its wishes in a more urgent and 
caressing manner. If in spite of this he did not obtain what 
he wanted, he had recourse to cunning, and looked anxiously 
about to see if he was watched. It was just in these cases, 
when he obstinately pursued a fixed idea, that it was im- 
possible not to recognize a deliberate plan and careful calcu- 
lation. If, for example, he was not allowed to leave the 
room, or again, was not allowed to come in, he would, after 
several attempts to get his own way had been baffled, ap- 
parently submit to his fate and lie down near the door in 
question with assumed indifference. But he soon raised his 
head in order to ascertain whether fortune was on his side, 
edging himself gradually nearer and nearer, and then look- 
ing carefully round, he twisted himself about until he 
reached the threshold; then he got up, peered cautiously 
round, and with one bound, galloped off so quickly it was 
difficult to follow him. 

"He pursued his object with equal pertinacity when he 



126 THE REALITY AND 

felt a desire for the sugar or fruit, which was kept in a cup- 
board in the eating-room ; he would suddenly leave off play- 
ing and go in an opposite direction, only altering his course 
when he believed that he was no longer observed. He then 
went straight to the room and cupboard, opened it, and 
made a quick and dexterous snatch at the sugar box, or fruit 
basket, sometimes closing the cupboard doors behind him 
before beginning to enjoy his plunder, or, if he was dis- 
covered, he would escape with it, and his whole behavior 
made it clear that he was conscious of transgressing into 
forbidden paths. He took a special, and what might be 
called a childish pleasure, in making a noise by beating on 
hollow articles, and he seldom omitted an opportunity of 
drumming on casks, dishes, or tin trays, whenever he passed 
by them — a noisy amusement to which he was much addicted 
during our homeward voyage on board the steam vessel, in 
which he was at liberty to roam about." (Anthropoid Apes, 
pp. 261, 262, 263, 264, 265.) 

"According to the account of Captain Grandpre, a fe- 
male chimpanzee on board his vessel would heat the oven, 
taking care that no coals fell out, and carefully watching 
until it was of the right heat, of which she would inform 
the baker. She fulfilled all the duties of a sailor, such as 
drawing up the anchor, furling and making fast the sails. 
She patiently endured maltreatment by a brutal mate, stretch- 
ing out her hands imploringly to' ward off the blows. But 
after this she refused all food, and died in five days of grief 
and hunger." (Ibid., p. 268.) 

Mechanism. The comb of the honey bee. "Every 
comb contains two sets of cells, one opening on each of its 
faces. The cells of one side, however, are not exactly op- 
posite to those of the other ; for the middle of each cell abuts 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 127 

against the point where the walls of the three cells meet on 
the opposite side, and thus the partition that separates the 
cells is greatly strengthened. This partition is not flat, but 
consists of three planes which meet each other at a particular 
angle, so as to make the centre of the cell its deepest part. 
Of the three planes which constitutes the floor of each cell, 
one forms part of the bottom of each of the three cells, 
against which it abuts on the opposite side. 

"Now it can be proved by the aid of a difficult and elabo- 
rate mathematical calculation that in order to combine the 
greatest strength with the least expenditure of material, the 
edges of these planes should have a certain fixed inclination ; 
and the angles formed by the bees were ascertained by the 
measurement of Maraldi, to be 109° 28' and 70° 32', respect- 
ively. 

"By the very intricate calculation of Konig, it was deter- 
mined that the angles for such a purpose should be 109° 26' 
and 70° 34'. Here was a wonderful coincidence! the bees 
and the mathematicians differed by the small discrepancy of 
two minutes of a degree, or ^"th part of a circle, an 
infinitesimal space in so small a thing as a bee-cell. 

"Were the bees by this minute fraction at fault ? Or did 
the geometrician err? We shall see. 

"Mailaurin, the Scotch mathematician, was not satisfied 
with this explanation, and applied himself to a fresh and 
careful invesitgation of the question. He showed that owing 
to a slight misprint in the lograthmic tables, the result pre- 
viously obtained was erroneous to the exact amount of two 
minutes! So that the bees were in the right, even to this 
infinitisimal fraction, and the mathematicians wrong." 
{Kinns, Moses and Geology, pp. 329, 330.) 

Hypnotism is purely a mental process and can be dem- 



128 THE REALITY AND 

onstrated only where some degree of intelligence is dis- 
played, and the fact that animals are susceptible to hypno- 
tism is only another evidence of mind in the animals. 

For the benefit of our readers who are not familiar with 
the different methods of hypnotizing, nor how it happened 
to be so-called, will offer in explanation the following from 
Mr. Hudson, who says: "For some years subsequent to 
this, the investigation of the subject was confined to its 
psychological and therapeutic features; but every scientist 
who dabbled in it was tabooed by the majority of his asso- 
ciates. Many able works were produced on the subject, 
but none of them attracted the attention of the academicians 
until Dr. Braid, of Manchester, undertook to demonstrate 
the theory that the hypothetical magnetic fluid had nothing 
to do with the production of the phenomena. Braid dis- 
covered that by placing a bright object before the eyes of the 
subject, and causing him to gaze upon it with persistent at- 
tention, he could be thrown into the hypnotic sleep, during 
which many of the well-known phenomena ascribed to mag- 
netism could be produced. This seemed to point to the pos- 
sibility of a physiological explanation of the subject-matter. 
It attracted the attention of the scientists, and thus to Braid 
belongs the credit of causing the subject to be at last ac- 
knowledged as being within the domain of the exact sci- 
ences. The acadamicians were mollified. The pet theory of 
the mesmerists appeared to have been demolished. The 
method was simple and easily applied. The phenomena of 
thought transference could not be produced by its methods. 
It promised a physiological explanation; and, best of all, 
it had been given a new name. It had received many names 
before Braid undertook the task of rechristening it ; but, with 
the exception of 'mesmerism,' each was objectional, because 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 129 

it implied a theory of causation. The name of 'mesmerism' 
was obviously improper, because Mesmer was neither the 
discoverer of the force, nor the inventor of the practical 
method of evoking it. 'Animal Magnetism' implied Mes- 
mer's theory of magnetic currents. 'Mental or animal elec- 
tricity' implied practically the same theory. 'Neurology' in- 
dicated the science of the nervous system. 'Patheism' (from 
the Greek radical signifying disease or suffering) and 'ether- 
ology' ( which means the science of the refined part of the 
atmosphere) were equally meaningless as applied to the 
subject. 'Psycodunamy' signified the power of the soul; 
and 'electro-biology' was American, and not to be tolerated. 
But when Braid denominated it 'hypnotism,' — from the 
Greek word signifying sleep, — it was hailed as a compro- 
mise sufficiently non-committal to entitle it to recognition, 
and 'hynotism' it will be called until some academician drags 
to light the ultimate cause of all things. * * * 

The leading points of difference between the three schools 
may be briefly stated as follows : 

"1. The theory of the Nancy School is that the differ- 
ent physiological conditions characterizing the hypnotic 
state are determined by mental action alone; that the phe- 
nomena can best be produced in persons of sound physical 
health and perfect mental balance; and that this mental 
action and the consequent physical and psychological phe- 
nomena are the result, in all cases, of some form of sugges- 
tion. 

"2. The Paris School holds that hypnotism is the re- 
sult of an abnormal or diseased condition of the nerves ; that 
a great number of the phenomena can be produced independ- 
ently of suggestion in any form ; that the true hypnotic con- 
dition can be produced only in persons whose nerves are 



130 THE REALITY AND 

diseased; and that the whole subject is explicable on the 
basis of cerebral anatomy of physiology. 

"3. The mesmerists hold to the fluidic theory of Mes- 
mer; that the hypnotic condition is induced, independent of 
suggestion, by passes made by the operator over the subject 
accompanied by intense concentration of mind and will on 
the part of the former; that from him flows a subtle fluid 
which impinges upon the subject wherever it is directed, and 
produces therapeutic or other effects in obedience to the will 
of the operator; that these effects can best be produced by 
personal contact ; but that they can be produced at a distance 
and without the knowledge of the subject, and independently 
of suggestion." (The Law of Psychic Phenomena, pp. 86, 
87, 88, 90.) 

"The difference between the effects of mesmerism on 
man and animals is one of degree only ; and the difference of 
degree is determined only by their difference in intelligence. 
The law is the same." (Ibid., pp. 119, 120.) 

"Tha't the majority of animals can be hypnotized is 
something a number of people have only a very limited 
knowledge of, although it is easily done, and also of great 
interest to all who think seriously on such matters — espe- 
cially for scientists. I have experimented with quite a num- 
ber of the larger animals, such as horses and dogs, and 
always had complete success. Some animals can easily be 
brought into the hypnotic state. This has long been known. 
The bringing of animals into the hypnotic condition is easily 
accomplished, because the methods are very practical ; we can 
almost call them mechanical. They immediately produce 
their effect; it is not necessary to follow all the rules such 
as for hypnotizing people. So far as some of the animals 
are concerned, it evidently plays a prominent part that they 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 131 

have a great respect for us, who at all events to a certain 
extent are the animals' god. As early as 1646, Father 
Athanasius Kircher relates in a book entitled Ars Magna 
Lucis et Umbrae, that if a cock with his legs tied together 
be placed before a line made upon the floor with white 
chalk, he becomes at the end of a few moments perfectly mo- 
tionless ; if the string be untied and he is excited, he does not 
issue from the cataleptic state. This experiment may be of 
still earlier date, since it has been ascribed to Daniel Schren- 
ter (1636). However this may be, in many countries the 
hypnotization of poultry became a source of popular amuse- 
ment." (Carl Sixtus, Hypnotism, pp. 20-21.) 

"There is in this country a young man who, as a snake 
charmer, has, perhaps, no equal on the habitable globe, writes 
a Gainesville (Tex.) correspondent of the Globe-Democrat. 
His name is Frank Kerr, about thirty-two years of age, who 
aside from its marvelous power over reptiles, is distin- 
guished chiefly by his aversion to any kind of work. His 
wonderful power over the most venomous reptiles — a power 
which it is his delight to use constantly — has long been the 
wonder of everyone hereabouts. It is his custom to walk 
proudly up the street with the heads of three or four snakes 
hanging out of his pockets, and his neck decorated with a 
big rattler or copperhead. It is related, and well verified, 
that sleep to him is almost an impossibility if he has not sev- 
eral snakes in his bed ; and it is seldom, indeed, that he misses 
much sleep. He delights to fondle a big rattler before a 
crowd of wonder-stricken spectators, compelling it to put its 
head in his mouth, and 'capping the climax,' by making it 
protrude is forked tongue to meet his own. This feat is 
about his only source of revenue. 

"Last March he went to Ardmore, a small town in the 



132 THE REALITY AND 

Indian Territory, a few miles north of here, hoping to 
make some money by giving public exhibitions of his snake 
feats. He left here with two snakes, a copperhead and a 
rattlesnake, but the rattler died en route. Not wishing to 
perform with one snake, he took his flute, the work of his' 
own handicraft, and started for the woods in quest of the 
reptiles. To the tune of his own weird music, like Jack the 
Piper, he marched along. 

"He returned to town in about three hours with thirteen 
snakes of different species crawling after him. Selecting a 
few from among them, he exhibited his feats to wondering 
and liberal crowds. 

"This story has been told so often and abundantly veri- 
fied, that no one now questions it. He has a preference for 
the copperhead, but as he expresses it, he 'loves them all,' 
and frequently caresses a little harmless green snake as ten- 
derly as he does the big rattlers." (Ibid., pp. 127, 128, 129.) 

"This power is often used by man to disarm the fury 
of the most enraged quadrupeds. This is peculiarly seen at 
times in the case of watch-dogs, over whom house-breakers 
have found out the secret of exercising so seductive and 
quieting a power as to keep them in a profound silence while 
the burglary is committed. Lindecrantz, of Sweden, tells 
us that the natives of Lapland and Dalarne are in possession 
of this secret generally, insomuch that they can instantly 
disarm the most ferocious dog, and oblige him to fly from 
them, with all his usual signs of fear, such as dropping the 
tail and becoming suddenly silent. 

"Grooms are sometimes found possessed of a similar 
power over horses. Mr. Townsend gives a striking anecdote 
to this effect in his account of James Sullivan. The man — 
an awkward, ignorant, rustic of the lower class — was, 
by profession a horse-breaker, and generally nick-named 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 133 

the ' Whisperer,' from its being vulgarly supposed that 
he obtained his influence over unruly horses by whisper- 
ing to them. The actual secret of his fascinating power, 
it is very likely, was unknown to himself, for it died 
with him, his son, who was in the same occupation, knowing 
nothing of it. It was well known to everyone, that how- 
ever unbroken or vicious a horse or even a mule might be, 
when brought to him, in the short space of half an hour, he 
became altogether passive under his influence, and was not 
only entirely gentle and tractable, but in a very considerable 
degree continued so, though somewhat more submissive to 
himself than to others. There was a little mystery in his 
plan, but unquestionably no deceit. When sent for to tame 
an unruly horse, he ordered the stable door to be shut upon 
himself and the animal alone, and not to be opened until a 
given signal. This singular intercourse usually lasted for 
about half an hour; no bustle was heard, or violence seem- 
ingly had recourse to, but when the door was opened, on the 
proper sign being given, the horse was always seen lying 
down, and the fascinator by his side, playing with him 
familiarly as a child with a puppy. Mr. Townsend once 
saw his skill tried on a horse that could never be brought to 
stand for a smith to shoe him. The day after Sullivan's 
half hour lecture, he went, not without some incredulity, to 
the smith's shop with many other curious spectators, who 
were eye-witnesses of the complete success of his art. This, 
too, had been a troop horse, and it was supposed, not with- 
out reason, that after regimental discipline had failed, no 
other would be found availing. He observed the animal 
seemed afraid whenever Sullivan either spoke to or looked 
at him. In common cases, the mysterious preparation of a 
private interview was not necessary, the animal becoming 
tame at once." (Ibid., pp. 129, 130, 132.) 



134 THE REALITY AND 

"Turtles may very easily be charmed by the use of slow, 
monotonous music. There are in Brazil several well-known 
turtle charmers, who make it a specialty by the use of their 
art to catch all the turtles they want. The charmer uses his 
instrument, often at the same time imitating with his voice 
various animal calls, and the result comes in about fifteen 
to twenty minutes. If any turtles are in the vicinity they 
will come first one, two, then a whole herd, grouping them- 
selves around the charmer, listening to his music with great 
attention. The charmer has assistants to throw the nets over 
the turtles. The nets are fastened to the ground by heavy 
weights and the turtles are caught. Nearly all animals may 
be brought under influence, but the proceedings are different. 

"The experiment of Father Kircher, in 1646, with 
the hen which lay motionless on the ground when a long 
chalk-line was drawn from her bill, has often been repeated. 
To the same class of phenomena belong all kinds of charming 
by the eyes or fascination — as when the snake charmer by 
his eye tames serpents, or when snakes paralyze frogs and 
other small animals. The art of Rarey, the famous horse- 
tamer, appears to have consisted principally in hypnotic ma- 
nipulations. Hypnotism and fascination play a very great 
role in taming wild animals, much more important than 
people generally believe ; especially when they are used with 
the proper manipulations. How many true cases are re- 
ported in 'Descriptions of Travels' when a man in utmost 
danger of death, with destroyed or poor weapons, has had 
only his will-force and the power of his eyes to thank for 
saving life that seemed lost." {Ibid., p. 136.) 

In the face of this mass of evidence those who deny 
animals the possession of mind and accredit them with mere 
instinct, present such woeful ignorance and obstinacy that to 
attempt to enlighten them would be a hopeless task indeed. 



CHAPTER VIII. 
The Identity of Spirit and Mind. 

A careful investigation of the Mosaic Record reveals the 
fact that the Bible clearly teaches that when God made the 
plants, the animals and Man, that He employed three dis- 
tinct substances, which we term Matter, Mind and Soul; 
and Mr. Charles Carroll is the first and only writer of modern 
times who holds to the teaching of the Bible and insists that 
mind and soul are distinct creations. As we have shown, 
mind is common to Man and the animals, therefore, it is not 
mind that distinguishes Man from the animals, but God 
"breathed" into Man's "nostrils the breath of life," a sub- 
stance different from matter and from mind which we term 
soul, and it is this that is peculiar to Man and distinguishes 
him from the animals. In fact, modern theologians, the spir- 
itualist and all modern writers confound Spirit, Mind and 
Soul and use them synonymously. Whereas, as a matter 
of fact, Soul and Mind are distinct, and Soul and Spirit are 
distinct ; but Spirit and Mind are identical. 

That Spirit and Mind are identical will be readily seen 
and acknowledged, when we remember that we have always 
considered certain attributes peculiar to Mind, but when we 
find that these same distinguishing characteristics, which 
we have been taught, applied to Mind only, are also dis- 
tinguishing characteristics of Spirit, we are forced to the 
conclusion that Spirit and Mind are one. 

Though the term Spirit is sometimes applied to one of 

135 



136 THE REALITY AND 

the Trinity or to the Deity as : "God is a Spirit," just as the 
term Soul is sometimes used to describe the whole person, 
both soul and body, as : "And Abram took Sari his wife and 
Eot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had 
gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haram." 
(Gen. xii, 5.) We can always determine whether the term 
spirit refers to the Deity or to the mind by the connections 
in which it is used; but in the great majority of cases the 
term Spirit is used to describe the mind, as is shown by the 
following : 

"And the earth was without form, and void ; and dark- 
ness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God 
moved upon the face of the waters." (Gen., i, 2.) 

"And the Spirit, that is, the Mind of God, was beginning 
to operate upon gaseous matter and form the wondrous phe- 
nomena of our universe. For example, a Man is about to 
build a house, he has all the materials out of which the house 
is to be builded ; but it is the Mind or Spirit of the architect, 
not his soul, that forms the plans and carries out the design 
in which the house is to be erected. And so it is with God. 
He had in the beginning created the materials out of which 
to construct the universe, but as yet everything was without 
form and void." And as the architect, by the exercise of his 
mind, combined his materials into a beautiful home; so the 
Great Architect of the Universe by the exercise of His 
Spirit or Mind, not His Soul, combined and moulded form- 
less matter into a beautiful home, a paradise, for His yet un- 
created children. 

The correctness of our conclusions that it was the Mind 
of God, termed the Spirit, which operated to plan and form 
the universe, of which Man is a part, is shown by the fol- 



, 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 137 

lowing : "The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath 
of the Almighty hath given me life." {Job, xxxiii., 4.) 

Further evidence of the identity of Spirit and Mind is 
found in the following : "And the Lord said, My Spirit shall 
not always strive with Man, for that he also is flesh. Yet 
his days shall be an hundred and twenty years." {Gen., v\., 
3.) It is plain from the above that the antideluvians were 
living a life of disobedience, and that God's Spirit or Mind 
had striven to induce them to turn from their evil way and 
live in obedience to His laws ; that He had even set a limit 
to the period, "an hundred and twenty years," in which they 
might repent and turn to Him. This was evidently wholly 
a mental effort. It was God's Spirit or Mind, not His soul 
operating on Men's minds to induce them to renounce their 
evil course. 

The following texts further indicate that the inspired 
writers employ the terms Spirit and Mind indiscriminately 
in referring to the mental organism : "But he that is spir- 
itual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no Man. 
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may 
instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ." (1 Cor. 
ii., 15, 16.) 

"For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through 
your prayers, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ." 
(Phil, i., 19.) "Let this Mind be in you, which was also in 
Christ Jesus." (Phil, ii., 5.) "Hereby know we that we 
dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his 
Spirit." (1 John iv., 13.) All the above texts clearly indicate 
that spirit and mind are identical. 

Additional evidence of the identity of Spirit and Mind 
is shown by the following : "And they told him all the words 
of Joseph which he had said unto them : and when he saw the 



138 THE REALITY AND 

wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of 
Jacob their iather revived." (Gen. xlv., 27.) Undoubtedly 
the mental shock which Jacob sustained upon being told that 
Joseph still lived prostrated him; and it was his spirit or 
mind, not his soul, that was reviving. 

"They angered him also at the waters of strife so that it 
went ill with Moses for their sakes : 

"Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spoke un- 
advisedly with his lips." (Psal. cvi., 32, 33.) One may be 
angered to such an extent that they lose control of their 
speech; yet no one for a moment imagines it is their soul 
that is provoked ; on the contrary, we all know it is the mind 
that is thus affected. Thus the text above shows that spirit 
and mind are identical. 

The following texts are much the same: "He that is 
slow to anger is better than the mighty ; and he that ruleth 
his spirit than he that taketh a city." (Prov. xvi., 32.) 
That spirit in this text has reference to mind, and not soul, 
is so plain that it seems almost useless to attempt any com- 
ments. "He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a 
city that is broken down and without walls." (Prov. xxv., 
28.) A certain amount of self-control is absolutely essential 
to success and they who lack this but follow every impulse of 
the mind will certainly have "failure" written on their monu- 
ments. In this text it is plain that the term spirit is applied 
to the mental organism, thus showing the identity of spirit 
and mind. 

Willing. "And they came, everyone whose heart stirred 
him up, and everyone whom his spirit made willing, and they 
brought the Lord's offering to the work of the tabernacle of 
the congregation, and for all his service and for the holy 
garments." (Exod. xxxv., 21.) "And thou, Solomon my 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. , 139 

son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a 
perfect heart and with a willing mind" (1 Chron. xxviii., 
9.) Thus the Old Testament teaches that willing which is 
a mental operation is also a spiritual operation. The same is 
true of the New Testament, as is shown by the following: 
"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the 
spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Mat. xxvi., 
41.) "For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted ac- 
cording to that a Man hath, and not according to that he hath 
not." (2 Cor. viii., 12.) Thus both Old and New Testa- 
ments show the identity of spirit and mind. 

Humility. "Better it is to be of an humble spirit with 
the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud." (Prov. 
xvi., 19.) "Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and 
with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the 
lying in wait of the Jews." (Acts xx., 19.) These texts 
further prove that certain mental conditions are common to 
the spirit; thus showing that trie terms spirit and mind are 
synonymous. 

Pride. "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty 
spirit before a fall." (Prov. xvi., 18.) "But when his heart 
was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was de- 
posed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from 
him." (Dan. v., 20.) The fact that we find pride, which 
is a state or condition of the mind, accredited to spirit, shows 
the identity of spirit and mind. 

Sorrow. "And among these nations shalt thou find no 
ease, neither shall the soul of thy foot have rest : but the Lord 
shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, 
and sorrow of minds" (Deut. xviii., 65.) "And Hannah 
answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrow- 
ful spirit : I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but 



140 t THE REALITY AND 

have poured out my soul before the Lord." (1 Sam. i., 15.) 
Here we find that sorrow, which is also a mental condition, 
accredited to the spirit ; thus further showing the identity of 
spirit and mind. 

Fervent. "And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at 
Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures, 
came to Ephesus. This man was instructed in the way of 
the Lord ; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught 
diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism 
of John." (Acts xviii., 24, 25.) "And not by his coming 
only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted 
in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, 
your fervent mind towards me; so that I rejoiced the more." 
(2 Cor. vii., 7.) Fervency is still another condition of the 
mind, and the above references to the fervent spirit and the 
fervent mind clearly indicates the identity of spirit and 
mind. 

Faith. "We have the same spirit of faith, according 
•as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken ; we 
also believe, and therefore speak." (2 Cor. iv., 13.) It is 
easy to see that "faith" and belief are mental operations, and 
since we find them associated with spirit in this text it fur- 
nishes us with additonal proof of the identity of spirit and 
mind. 

Groaning. "Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Laza- 
rus is dead. * * * Then when Mary was come where 
Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying 
unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not 
died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews 
also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the 
spirit, and was troubled." (St. John xi., 14, 32, 33.) This 
narrative teaches that Lazarus, a brother of Mary, had 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 141 

died and had been buried four days when the Savior ar- 
rived, and found Mary and others weeping and mourn- 
ing for him. In his deep sympathy for them in their 
distress "he groaned in the spirit and was troubled;'' that 
is, he shared their grief, and it is plain that grief is merely 
a condition of the mind. Consequently, this text presents 
further evidence that spirit and mind are identical 

Truth and Error. "We are of God : he that knoweth 
God heareth us : he that is not of God, heareth not us. 
Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error." 
(1 John iv., 6.) This text teaches that those who had a 
knowledge of God and believed in Him would listen to the 
truth concerning Him ; but those who had no knowledge and 
did not believe in God were in error concerning Him. Thus 
they were able to distinguish between the spirit or mind that 
accepted the truth from the spirit or mind that entertained 
error. To entertain truth or error is a mental operation, and 
the term spirit as above used, describes the mind ; thus again 
demonstrating that spirit and mind are one. 

Trouble. "And in the second year of the reign of Ne- 
buchodnezzar, Nebuchodnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith 
his spirit was troubled, and his sleep broke from him. Then 
the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrolo- 
gers,, and the sources and the Chaldeans for to shew the king 
his dreams. • So they came and stood before the king. And 
the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my 
spirit was troubled to know the dream." (Dan. ii., 1, 2, 3.) 
Nebuchadnezzar had "dreamed dreams," it was impossible 
for him to understand, and because of this, he was troubled 
in spirit or mind, and sent for the wise men of his kingdom, 
hoping they could explain to him their true significance, that 
he might thereby regain, not the tranquility of his soul, but 



142 THE REALITY AND 

his peace of mind. In this text the term spirit is evidently 
applied to the mental organism ; thus showing the identity of 
spirit and mind. 

Anguish. "And Moses spake so unto the Children of 
Israel; but they harkened not unto Moses for anguish of 
spirit, and for cruel bondage." (Exod. vi., 9.) "Anguish, 
anything fitted to excite intense bodily or mental pain." 
(Universal Dictionary, Volume i.) As it does not in this 
text refer to bodily pain, it must refer to a mental state of the 
mind. Consequently, anguish of spirit or anguish of mind 
are synonymous terms. 

Sad. "But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto 
him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread." 
(1 King xxi., 5.) Sadness is simply a state or condition of 
the mind : so a sad spirit or mind is that mental condition to 
which the mind is reduced by some outward influence. It is 
clear, therefore, that the "sad spirit" above referred to, fur- 
nishes additional evidence of the identity of spirit and mind. 

Anger. "Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for 
anger resteth in the bosom of fools." (Eccl. vii., 9.) Anger 
is unquestionably a mental condition ; thus this text presents 
further evidence of the identity of spirit and mind. 

Understanding. "But there is a spirit in man : and the 
inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding." 
(Job xxxii., 8.) It is easy to see that it is the mind of man 
that is inspired with understanding or knowledge by the 
Almighty. Thus this text furnishes additional proof that 
spirit and m,ind are identical. 

Guile. "Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord im- 
puteth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile." 
(Psal. xxxii., 2.) Guile, which means deception, duplicity, 
etc., can only be entertained and expressed by the mind- 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 143 

Thus, this text presents further proof of the identity of spirit 
and mind. 

Excellent. "Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and 
knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and 
shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were 
found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belte- 
shazzar : now, let Daniel be called and he will shew the in- 
terpretation." (Dan. v., 12.) The ability to acquire "knowl- 
edge and understanding," the "interpreting of dreams," "the 
shewing" or explaining of "hard sentences;" and "the dis- 
solving," or removal of doubts, were characteristics which 
constituted the excellency of Daniel's spirit; and no one 
can for a moment doubt that these are characteristics of 
the mind. Thus this text furnishes additional evidence of 
the identity of spirit and mind. The following text is much 
the same as the one above; but is in such perfect harmony 
with our views, that we offer it also: "It pleased Darius 
to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, 
which should be over the whole kingdom; and over these 
three presidents ; of whom Daniel was first : that the princes 
might give accounts unto them, and the king should have 
no damage. Then this Daniel was preferred above the 
presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in 
him : and the king thought to set him over the whole realm." 
(Dan. vi., 1, 2, 3.) The above narrative shows that such 
was the excellency of Daniel's spirit — such the high order 
of his mentality — such his great executive ability — that "the 
king thought to set him over the whole realm." Thus, this 
narrative shows the identity of spirit and mind. 

Sighs. "And the Pharisees came forth, and began to 
question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven tempt- 
ing him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why 



144 THE REALITY AND 

doth this generation seek after a sign? Verily I say unto 
you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation." 
(Mark viii., 11, 12.) Sighs are certain peculiar expressions 
of the mind and are usually the symptoms of grief or dis- 
appointment; in this case the Savior seems to have sighed 
from disappointment on account of the question put to him 
by the Pharisees, or grief at their efforts to tempt Him. 
Thus, this text gives another illustration of the identity of 
spirit and mind. 

The confusion of Spirit, Mind and Soul is a modern 
error. The Ancients knew and admitted the identity of spirit 
and mind. And while it is true that the correct meaning of 
many of the ancient Hebrew terms were lost, they still re- 
tained a knowledge of the identity of the spirit and mind; 
and the distinction between spirit or mind and soul, as is 
shown by the ^utterances of Josephus, the Jewish historian, 
who says : "That God took dust from the ground, and 
formed man, and inserted in him a spirit and a soul." 
(Antiq. of the Jews, B. i., chap. i., sect. 2.) It is plain that 
Josephus recognized that man is composed of three elements, 
body, spirit and soul ; and thus this ancient and learned Jew 
is in perfect harmony, not only with the teachings of the 
Mosiac Record, but with those of the New Testament as 
well, as is shown by Saint Paul, who says : "And the very 
God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your 
whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto 
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thes. v., 23.) 
The most positive evidence of the distinction between spirit 
and soul is shown by the following : "For the word of God 
is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged 
sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and 
spirit * * *." (Heb. iv., 12.) 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 145 

As already shown, the Bible plainly teaches that soul is 
peculiar to man ; and that mind is common to man and the 
animals. Inasmuch as spirit and mind are identical, it 
would follow that the animal, like the man, has a spirit. 
This being true, we should not be surprised to find that the 
inspired writer accredits both man and the animal with a 
spirit, as shown by the following : "Who knoweth the spirit 
of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that 
goeth downward to the earth?" (Eccl. iii., 21.) 

Further evidence that soul is peculiar to man, is found 
in Peter's reference to the deluge from which "few, that is 
eight souls were saved." (1 Pet. iii., 20.) These were Noah 
and his wife, his three sons and their wives, in all eight 
persons. It will thus be seen that the animals in the ark 
are not accredited with souls. Thus, while there were only 
eight souls in the ark, there were just as many minds as there 
were men, women and animals. And in view of the fact that 
spirit and mind are identical, there were just as many 
spirits in the ark as there were men, women and animals. 



CHAPTER IX. 

What is Soul, and is it I m mortal f 

Spritualism teaches that mind, spirit and soul are synony- 
mous terms and to that extent it is in harmony with modern 
theology ; but Spiritualism also teaches that matter and mind 
are the "same identical substance," that mind is matter in 
the highest state of advancement and refinement. This 
being true, then matter, mind, spirit and soul are identical, 
and soul is simply refined matter, therefore, from the spir- 
itualistic standpoint, immortality of the soul does not depend 
upon the purity of our lives, but upon the eternity of matter. 

Mr. Davis, in discussing this question, the soul's im- 
mortality, says : 

"But before laying the foundation upon which rests the 
individualization of the elements of the human mind, as well 
as all true knowledge concerning it, I feel impressed to say 
a few words in reference to the origin and influence of three 
kinds of belief therein, which are entertained by many lay- 
men and clergymen, and by individuals in general, viz., a be- 
lief of ignorance, a belief of desire, and a belief of the 
understanding. 

"1. A belief of ignorance is a faith unaccompanied, and 
consequently unsupported by adequate reasons. It is derived 
from the hereditary inclinations of the mind, or from doc- 
trinal education imparted by the prevailing Theology or 
influence within the sphere of which the individual exists. 

"2. A belief of desire is an instinctive or intuitive faith 

146 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 147 

in the endless perpetuation of personal existence. It arises 
from the central desire of the human mind, which is un- 
consciously considered as a living internal prophecy of its 
eternal destiny. This belief is grounded in no universal 
principles, nor has it any substantial basis upon which to rest 
and stand secure, except an inference derived from its own 
aspirations and the general tendency of all created things. 

"3. A belief of the understanding is a faith based upon 
absolute and unequivocal knowledge. It grows out of a 
complete recognition and thorough understanding of those 
immutable principles which flow from the bosom of the Di- 
vine Cause into the Universe, and, by which everything is 
governed with an unerring and unchangeable government. 

"The influence of the first is to generate Skepticism, 
because the believer can neither furnish himself, nor an in- 
quirer after truth and rest, with a tangible and substantial 
reason, and because, too, he refers the intelligent seeker to 
historical accounts of supernatural phenomena and occur- 
rences, at once startling, absurd, and incomprehensible. 

"The influence of the second is to cause an anxiety in the 
understanding, because the believer has no ground upon 
which to rest his faith, except internal desires, external in- 
ferences, and vague probability; and because when he at- 
tempts to investigate the basis of his belief (which is seldom 
ever attempted) he discovers it to be unsound, and conse- 
quently unsatisfactory — not sufficiently expansive and strong 
to cover the whole ground occupied by doubts and objections, 
and to remove all obstructions to a full confidence in the sub- 
lime truths of an immortal personality. 

"The influence of the third is to promote happiness be- 
cause the believer can give a reason for the faith and hope 
within him — because his understanding is convinced beyond 



148 THE REALITY AND 

the sphere of ignorance, and desire, and inference, and prob- 
ability — and because he has a divine guaranty in the fact of 
individual existence, because he is himself a note drawn on 
the bank of an eternal life, and signed by an Almighty 
Hand, payable in such installments as are measured by his 
entrance into, and departure from, each sphere on his voy- 
age round eternity. 

"I think you will agree with me when I say you occupy 
the second position with regard to a belief in a future state ; 
for you 'believe the Soul or Spirit does not lose its identity, 
but continues progressively, increasing in knowledge, wis- 
dom, and happiness.' But like thousands of our fellow-men, 
who strive to believe in and hope for immortality — you are 
not in the third position, else you could not have said, 'Still 
I am not as well convinced as I wish to be/ Now that we 
may obtain and secure a belief of the understanding, which 
alone communicates internal rest and positive encourage- 
ment in the faithful discharge of our duties on earth, I will 
proceed to place before you 'what proofs we have of a con- 
tinuation of identity at death/ or to show you why we are 
immortal. 

"The foundation of the whole superstructure is the ab- 
solute indestructibility of Matter, or of that universal sub- 
stance which gives us a tangible individuality, and which 
constitutes the outer physical organization of the Great Posi- 
tive Mind. Matter is eternal, and is everywhere present. It 
is in all things, and is all things, and there is nothing that is 
not matter or substance. Upon the universality and inde- 
structibility of matter, therefore, rests the all glorious reality 
of an eternal life." (The Great Harmonia, Vol. ii., pp. 235, 
236,*237.) 

It is now our privilege to inquire into and inform our- 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 149 

selves concerning this "absolute and unequivocal knowledge" 
which Mr. Davis offers as the only correct solution of the 
problem under discussion, the soul's immortality. 

Knowledge. "That is or may be known." (Universal 
Dictionary.) Knowledge, therefore, is something tangible 
to the senses. Consequently, the information given by Mr. 
Davis, as "unequivocal knowledge," should be something 
acquired by actual observation and experience and of which 
there is no possibility of doubt or else it is not knowledge. 
We could not better illustrate the unreliability of this so- 
called "unequivocal knowledge" than he himself has when 
he affirms that upon the "absolute indestructibility" of and 
"eternity of matter" rests the "all glorious reality of an 
eternal life;" for, as shown in a previous chapter, the Bible 
teaches that in the beginning God created matter. That it 
had a beginning and will as surely have an ending. The 
sciences, as has been shown, also teach that matter is not 
eternal, as shown by the utterances of both Prof. Maxwell 
and Sir John Hershel, who affirm that each molecule of 
matter has the "character of a manufactured article," that so 
far from being eternal, it is artificial. Because matter under- 
goes change and is apparently indestructable is no reason that 
it is eternal. Thus both the Scriptures and Modern Science 
sweep away what Mr. Davis terms, the foundation of the 
soul's immortality, and he himself admits that if we deny 
this "fundamental conviction of truth (the eternity of mat- 
ter) we have no grounds or foundation from which to rea- 
son." Thus it is plain that so far from the proof of what 
Mr. Davis terms the soul's immortality being based upon 
"unequivocal knowledge," it is founded upon the grossest 
error. Therefore, if, as he asserts, the eternity of matter is 
the foundation upon which rests the immortality of the soul, 



150 THE REALITY AND 

then we have absolutely no basis for our belief in an eternal 
life. But, happily, the immortality of the soul is nowise de- 
pendent upon the eternity of matter. 

Continuing his discussion of the soul, Mr. Davis says: 

"Inasmuch as this aspiring progressive tendency is found 
to be a universal attribute of man, may we not reasonably 
conclude that the soul thus emulous, will ultimately reach the 
summit of an immortal being. Man will sacrifice his com- 
fort, his character, and his wealth, to attain to some emi- 
nence of worldly power, or mental distinction — a position 
which, even when attained, can only gratify the internal at- 
tribute which thus aspires! Even in his lowest condition, 
Man has desires which point and center far above his body, 
in some higher and better individuality. The animals pro- 
gress also ! The brute seeks to gratify the needs and rela- 
tionships of the body. The parental and maternal desires 
the animal seeks to gratify, often in a manner so touching 
and beautiful, that man would do well to learn the lessons of 
protection and kindness which the lower creation teaches; 
yet, unlike the animal, the human Soul elevates its eyes to- 
wards the skies, implying that its Real Home is in the 
heavens ! The desire of the private soldier to' become a 
General ; the child to emulate its Father ; the ruler to become 
King ; the patriarch to become Emperor — yea, and the desire 
of Man, even to exceed himself — does not all this prove the 
workings of that Interior Principle of Progress, which may 
confer immortality on the human soul ? 

"Nature is prophetic. Her Scriptures cannot be voted 
canonical, or otherwise, to suit the caprices of undeveloped 
minds. Truth is stamped upon every sentence, and love 
glows from the temple of every Thought. 

"In the human organism, be it remembered, are con- 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 151 

centrated all the elements and essences of surrounding Na- 
ture. Man feels a friendship, more or less remote, for every- 
thing; because everything has, in one shape or another, en- 
tered into his being. Solids and fluids, elements and gases, 
powers and essences, have climbed up the granite hills of 
creation, flowed through vegetables and animals, and taken 
up their residence in the human constitution. It seems that 
the first part of the Volume of Nature is divided into four 
grand chapters, viz. : 1st, The Formation of Minerals ; 2nd, 
The Formation of Vegetables ; 3rd, The Formation of Ani- 
mals, and lastly (which concludes the fourth chapter), the 
formation of Man. 

"All the principles of the preceding ages bloom out in the 
human type! Creation is a beautiful sermon; terminating 
with a grand, glowing, glorious conclusion — the human 
Soul. No novel ever terminated so harmoniously with our 
best desires ! no drama, so worthy the Divine Author. Now, 
let me ask, do you think creation will prove a failure? Do 
you think another chapter, more beautiful than the fourth, 
will never be added to the Volume of Nature ? 

"Do you think that man is a temporary being, the mortal 
insect of a season merely, the highest animal in creation, 
with a soul, like a breath, destined to be diffused in the vast 
ocean of life, or, as a dew-drop, lost in the sea. To suppose 
that man stands on the summit of the lower kingdom of crea- 
tion, with mental powers, exalted and progressive in their 
nature, with no objects beyond to which those powers 
might eternally rise, is to suppose a defect in the scheme of 
existence, unworthy the character of a wise and perfect 
Deity. Indeed, to believe that Man blooms on the moun- 
tains, like the vigorous oak, ultimately to die an eternal 
death, is to believe contrary to all the prophecies of God, as 



152 THE REALITY AND 

written upon the living faculties of the human type, and 
upon everything that lives. Nature is not man's invention ; 
is not capable of uttering a falsehood. 

"Now be it duly impressed, that creation is brought to 
a focus in Man. The voice of Truth is heard, whispering its 
first melodies in the soul's intuitions ! At first, her words are 
soft and low; so low and soft, indeed, that superstition is 
often allowed to make man doubt the voice of Truth within, 
causing him to lose sight of his immortal inheritance. But 
in the properly unfolded and virgin soul, the forces of nature 
are summoned to one point, and the prophecy comes forth — 
'That the Spirit of Man is Eternal/ " {Present Age 
and Inner Life, pp. 49, 50, 51.) 

As presenting a more detailed account, of Mr. Davis' 
views of soul development, we offer the following : 

"Remember, it is not the possession of the human form, 
but the accomplishment of the perfect marriage between the 
cerebrum and cerebellum, which settles the question of the 
soul's immortality ! 

"There are children or persons born among all races of 
men, who, in consequence of being defective in their cerebral 
structure, never reach the important crisis, never pass that 
equinoctial line which separates the animal from the human ! 
Such, feeling no immortality, are without it. The Bushmen 
of New Holland, the inhabitants of the interior of Africa, 
the Cannibals to some extent, and Children whose brains 
are so structurally unbalanced as to make them idiots from 
birth — such, belong wholly to the outer world and have no 
immortality. 

"The spiritual side of man's nature needs cultivation, in 
order to make his future existence a certainy. If the child 
should be born on the animal side, still the perfect human, 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 153 

with its immortal consequences, may be developed and con- 
firmed by cultivation, into the spiritual or intellectual direc- 
tion. Man may reach and confirm his immortality by a good 
life, even if he was born below the proper human point. But 
the reverse is, not possible. If a man be born on the human 
side, then the fact or certainty of his immortality is settled, 
although he may never be internally conscious of the pros- 
pective reality. This truth, in its fullness, is illustrated by 
clairvoyance. This power resides in every mind; but very 
few minds become conscious of the fact." {Ibid., pp. 271, 
272.) 

We wish our readers to constantly bear in mind that Mr. 
Davis always writes under spirit "control," and the informa- 
tion he presents for our consideration he obtains, he supposes 
from the spirit side of life and gives it to us as "unequivocal 
knowledge." Anyone at all familiar with Mr. Davis' writ- 
ings must acknowledge that he is a very erratic writer in that 
he allows imaginings and not his reason to control his pen. 
His fancy plays him many a prank and leads him into the 
most absurd illogical and contradictory admissions. He is 
peculiar in that he is the only author we ever read who finds 
it impossible to agree even with himself. He does not con- 
sider himself in the least bound by any previous statements 
he may have made. So what can one do with such a writer 
more than call attention to his absurd and contradictory 
statements. And yet in justice to Mr. Davis, we feel com- 
pelled to say that we believe he errs from the "best of inten- 
tions" and that while he imagines he is giving us "unequivo- 
cal knowledge," he is in reality presenting the distorted im- 
aginings of some misguided mind. We must also bear in 
mind that Mr. Davis, like all evolutionists, recognizes man as 
the result of development from lower forms. That in the 



164 THE REALITY AND 

beginning it was almost impossible to "determine which to 
first term man" — whether the highest of the quadrumana or 
the lowest of the human type, so gradual and progressive is 
the emergement of one kingdom into another." 

No evolutionist, no materialist, would attempt to evolve 
"immortality" from mere matter, that absurdity is left for 
the spiritualistic evolutionist. Yet claiming, as it does, 
materialism for its basis, spiritualism in reality proves the 
falsity of materialism, for spiritualism teaches and can dem- 
onstrate that the mind does not perish with the body, but 
survives physical dissolution. 

Spiritualism teaches that this mind, or spirit, or soul, 
which is simply matter in the highest state of refinement and 
organization, will finally develop an immortal soul and that 
this eternal life is man's "immortal inheritance." If im- 
mortality is the result of development then the first man did 
not posses immortality. And if this creature which was so 
low in the scale of humanity as to raise a doubt whether it 
was animal or human, had not "aspired after and desired 
to possess" immortality, the soul, if Mr. Davis' reasoning is 
correct, would never have been developed; but "even in his 
lowest condition man," thus aspires and "has desires which 
point and center far above his body in some higher and 
better individuality," thus showing that "the human soul 
elevates its eyes towards the skies, implying that its Real 
Home is in the heavens," and "inasmuch as this aspiring, 
progressive tendency is found to be a universal attribute of 
man," the soul finally developed into or reached "the sum- 
mit of an immortal human being." 

After man had sufficiently developed to attain immor- 
tality after he had once passed the "equinoctial line," which 
separates the animal from the human, and immortality was 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 155 

his inheritance, we would naturally suppose that all would 
be born immortal irrespective of condition. But such is not 
the case, for Mr. Davis tells us that there are exceptions to 
this "universal attribute," that there are children born among 
"all races of men," that the Bushmen, the Negroes of Af- 
rica, the Cannibals, and children whose brains are "structur- 
ally unbalanced," who "feeling no immortality are with- 
out it." 

Anything to be universal must be common to all, or it is 
not universal. Therefore, if this "aspiring progressive ten- 
dency" were a "universal attribute of man," then there could 
be no exceptions. If there are exceptions, then it is not "uni- 
versal" just to that extent, which, in the the above cases, 
would mean a considerable portion of the inhabitants of the 
globe. Thus Mr. Davis would deny immortality to a large 
part of the so-called human family. 

Then, again, he says : "If the child should be born in the 
animal side, still the perfect human, with its immortal conse- 
quences, may be developed and confirmed by cultivation." 
That is to say, if through the process of evolution a person 
has failed to attain the proper human point," and is born 
on the "animal side" of the "equinocial line," still that person 
need not be wholly discouraged, for, by personal exertion, 
by the cultivation of the spiritual and intellectual faculties 
and by a "good life," "man may reach and confirm his im- 
mortality" 

Then, again, Mr. Davis assures us that if a child is born 
on the "human side" of the "equinoctial line," then that 
child is immortal, whether it is conscious of it or not, and 
regardless of the kind of life ft may live; in short, Mr. 
Davis would have us believe that some are born immortal, 
some may attain immortality, and some are wholly lacking 



156 



THE REALITY AND 



and can never attain it. "It is not," he says, "the possession 
of the human form, but the accomplishment of the perfect 
marriage between the cerebrum and cerebellum which settles 
the question of the soul's immortality." 

One great difficulty in discussing Mr. Davis' writings, is 
his employment of terms the meaning of which no human 
on earth knows, and we doubt if he himself understood just 
what he meant, when he said that "immortality" depended 
upon a <( perfect marriage between the cerebrum and the cere- 
bellum!' Had he said immortality depends upon a perfect, 
a well developed brain, then his terms would be compre- 
hensible to anyone, but a "perfect marriage" between differ- 
ent parts of the same brain is too absurd for serious consider- 
ation. 

It is absurd to suppose that because a child is born with a 
greater or less amount of intelligence, that it is also born 
with or without a soul. It is absurd to suppose that immor- 
tality, eternal life, depends upon or is connected with mind. 

In discussing and criticising the "received definition of 
spirit," Hudson Tuttle says : 



"Definition of Spirit. 

"How far removed this subject is from the path of exact 
observation or scientific thought, I need only to quote the 
received definition of spirit to show. It is, according to the 
standard lexicon, 'the intelligent, immaterial and immortal 
part of human beings.' If immaterial, spirit at once escapes 
us. The methods by which we investigate physical nature 
are worthless, and it is amenable to no laws which we can 
ascertain. But how can an immaterial being have intelli- 
gence? How, even can it exist? It is an absolute nothing, 
an intelligent nothing, an immortal nothing! And this 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 157 

nothingness, is not a fact of our organization, but a gift from 
God! Ardent, indeed, is the imagination of the metaphysi- 
cian, who accepts such an existence, and maintains its de- 
sirability. This immaterial part, they say, is a fragment 
from the Divine Being, and is an image of him in quality, but 
differs in degree. Not a step has been made since the Brah- 
mins of the Ganges, so remote that our historic dates are of 
yesterday, perfected their system of theology. Man's spirit 
was, after passing through a certain sycle, re-absorbed into 
the divine bosom, to flow out again in an endless succession 
of beings. This theory is plausible, but being entirely 
imaginary, is no more worthy of credence than the vaga- 
ries of a dream. Here the speculations of one man are 
as reliable as those of another, and all are as idle con- 
jecture, for at the very beginning it is impossible for finite 
man to know anything of the Infinite Spirit, and how then so 
flippantly assert that the spirit of man is a detached frag- 
ment or spark from this Infinite Source.'' (The Ethics of 
Spiritualism, p. 23.) 

The basis of Mr. Tuttle's argument is wrong. It does 
not follow that because the "immortal" part of human beings 
is "immaterial," that it is nothing. God is. an immaterial Be- 
ing, yet the material universe is the most positive evidence 
of His existence. Edmonds is nearer right: "Say what 
men may, teach what men may teach, still the soul of man 
is a part of God himself. It lives forever and has lived, ere 
the morning stars recognized the glory of the God-head." 
{Spiritualism, p. 103.) 

The generally accepted teaching is that soul is immortal, 
because it is a part of the substance of God. While we ac- 
knowledge that soul is a part of the substance of God and is 
peculiar to the human family, and it is this that distinguishes 



158 THE REALITY AND 

us from the animals and makes us "children of God," we 
hold that the Bible nowhere asserts that man was created 
an immortal soul. We accept the plain statement of the 
Bible that when God "breathed into" man's "nostrils the 
breath of life," man became not an immortal, but only a 
"living soul," capable of acquiring immortality, eternal life. 
The Mosiac account of the origin of soul is sustained by 
Paul, who says : "And so it is written, the first man Adam 
was made a living soul." (Cor. xv., 45.) 

If God had had like Himself an immortal Consort, and 
Adam had been their begotten son, then immortality, eternal 
life would have been transmitted to him absolutely by his 
Divine parents. But being only a created and not a begotten 
son, God could give or withhold eternal life to a creature of 
His creation, or make it something for which he should seek 
and which can be found, but only by a life of obedience to 
Divine law. 

The term, "immortal soul," is of spiritualistic origin. 
In the remote past, ancient spiritualism taught, as does 
modern spiritualism, that spirit, mind and soul, are synony- 
mous terms and that mind or soul is immortal. Herodotus, 
styled the father of history, says that the Egyptians were the 
"first of mankind to have defended the immortality of the 
soul," and it is well known that spiritualism flourished in 
ancient Egypt. As spiritualism grew and flourished, until 
it finally became thoroughly organized and one of the most 
popular and powerful beliefs of the ancients, this idea of the 
immortality of the soul became almost universal. 

Although Christianity spread among the more enlight- 
ened nations, this spiritualistic idea of the immortality of the 
soul retained its popularity and readily became one of the 
tenets of modern theology and thus descended to us and is 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 159 

again ag universally taught and accepted by modern Chris- 
tians as it was by ancient spiritualists. 

We must remember that soul is neither a scientific nor an 
atheistic term, it belongs wholly to the Bible, therefore, to the 
Scriptures alone should we go for a proper understanding 
of its origin and meaning. Is it not significant that it is not 
to the Bible but to profane history we must look for an 
explanation of the origin of the idea of the immortality 
of the soul, while the Bible emphatically asserts that God 
"only hath immortality" (1 Tim. vi., 16), and that man 
must seek eternal life. 

While admitting that our views upon this subject are in 
conflict with modern thought, the Bible fully sustains our 
contention that immortality is not inherent in the soul, but is 
something that must be acquired and that can only be ac- 
quired by a life of obedience to God's law. 

In support of the correctness of our views, we offer the 
following texts : 'To them who by patient continuance 
in well doing, seek for glory and honour and immortality, 
eternal life." (Romans, ii., 7.) Here we find the most posi- 
tive proof that "immortality, eternal life," is not innate in 
man, but that it is something that he must seek to obtain, 
and that can only be acquired by a life of righteousness. This 
is further shown by the following question addressed to the 
Savior : "And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good 
Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal 
life." (Mat. xix., 16.) This clearly shows that this young 
man realized that he did not possess eternal life, but that 
there was some "good thing" he must do to obtain it. And 
that the Savior realized this to be true, is shown by the advise 
given the young man : "And he said unto him, Why callest 
thou me good ? there is none good but one, that is, God : but 
if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 



160 THE REALITY AND 

"He saith unto him, Which ? Jesus said, Thou shalt do 
no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not 
steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honor thy father 
and thy mother : and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy- 
self. 

"The young man saith unto him, All these things have I 
kept from my youth up : what lack I yet ? 

"Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and 
sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have 
treasure in heaven ; and come and follow me. 

"But when the young man heard that saying, he went 
away sorrowful : for he had great possessions." (Mat. xix., 
17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22.) Thus while the young man longed 
to obtain eternal life, he loved his earthly possessions better, 
and his refusal to relinquish his wealth in order to obtain 
eternal life, drew from the Savior his famous remarks con- 
cerning the rich : "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily 
I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the 
kingdom of heaven. 

"And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go 
through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into 
the kingdom of God." (Mat. xix., 23, 24.) Not that there is 
anything wrong in the possession of wealth itself, but in the 
effort to acquire and retain riches, little or no thought is 
directed to the acquirement of immortality. 

Further evidence that eternal life is something that must 
be acquired is shown by St. John: "That whosoever be- 
lieveth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." 
(Chapter iii., 15.) Prior to the coming of the Savior, a be- 
lief in God and an upright righteous life was all that was 
necessary to obtain eternal life, but in addition to this a 
belief in Jesus Christ is now essential. 

Again it is said : "These words spake Jesus, and lifted 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 161 

up his eyes* to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; 
glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee : 

"And as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that 
he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given 
him." (St. John xvii., 1, 2.) In the following it is posi- 
tively stated that eternal life, which was lost to man through 
sin, is given again through Jesus Christ to all who accept 
him : "For the wages of sin is death ; but the gift of God 
is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 
vi., 23.) The above emphatic statements leave no room for 
doubt that eternal life is God's reward for righteousness. 
We also find eternal life spoken of as an inheritance : 

"And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted 
him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" 
(St. Luke x., 25.) Thus, we find that in our Savior's day, 
even those who opposed him, recognized eternal life as an 
inheritance, a something that must be acquired. The Savior 
recognized this and proceeded to instruct this lawyer in 
what he should do to inherit eternal life: "He said unto 
him, What is written in the law ? how readest thou ? 

"And he, answering, said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy 
God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all 
thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as 
thyself." 

"And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right : this 
do, and thou shalt live." (St. Luke x., 26, 27, 28 ; see, also, 
xvii., 18, etc., Mark x., 17, etc.) The fact that eternal life 
is an inheritance is further taught as follows : "To an in- 
heritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not 
away, reserved in heaven for you." (1 Peter i., 4.) 

The above emphatic statements, of the inspired writers, 
leave no room for doubt that eternal life, immortality is God's 
reward for righteousness. On the other hand we fail to 



162 THE REALITY AND 

find a single passage of Scripture in support of the belief 
that immortality is inherent in the soul, but that God de- 
signed from the beginning that immortality, eternal life is 
something to be acquired, is shown by the following : "In 
hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised 
before the world began." (Titus i., 2.) This text clearly 
teaches that .we are not born immortal, but that immortality, 
eternal life, is something we must hope for and strive to 
attain as a part of God's plan of creation. 

Thus the preceding facts show that soul is not as the 
spiritualists would have us believe, the result of develop- 
ment, or an "unfolding;" but that it is a special bestowal 

upon man from God, by which we may obtain eternal life. 
"Immortal life is something to be earned, 
By slow self-conquest, comradeship with pain, 
And patient seeking after higher truths. 
We cannot follow our own wayward wills, 
And feed our baser appetites, and give 
Loose rein to* foolish tempers year on year, 
And then cry, 'Lord forgive me, I believe,' 
And straightway bathe in glory. Men must learn 
God's system is too grand a thing for that. 
The spark divine dwells in our souls, and we 
Can fan it to a steady flame of light, 
Whose luster gilds the pathway to the tomb, 
And shines on through Eternity, or else 
Neglect it till it glimmers down to death, 
And leaves us but the darkness of the grave. 
Each conquered passion feeds the living flame; 
Each well-born sorrow is a step towards God; 
Faith cannot rescue, and no blood redeem 
The soul that will not reason and resolve. 

* # * * * * 

Cast out all envy, bitterness and hate, 
And keep the mind's fair tabernacle pure. 
Shake hands with Pain, give greeting unto Grief, 
Those angels in disguise, and thy glad soul 
From height to height, from star to shining star, 
Shall climb and claim blest immortality." 

(Ella Wheeler Wilcox.) 



CHAPTER X. 

Man a Trinity. 

The world has for so long, with only here and there an 
exception, regarded man as a duality that we wish to add our 
protest against this pernicious teaching, and join the few, 
and in unison with them, declare that Man is a Trinity. 

And this at once brings us in conflict with the views of 
Modern Spiritualism as entertained and expressed by Mr. 
Davis, who says : 

"What difference is there between Matter and Spirit? 
Almost all words which describe the quality of anything 
are relative — they have a relative significance. We speak 
generally from contrast. Indeed, in a Universe like this — 
so replete with varieties and differences — it is almost impos- 
sible to employ any other than relative words to communi- 
cate our ideas. The general opinion is, as you are doubtless 
aware, that spirit is something entirely unlike matter. But 
reason refers us immediately to this simple conclusion : that 
spirit is something ; and something must be substance, or else 
it will be nothing; or else, in plainer language, there could 
be no such a thing as spirit. Receiving reason then, as our 
guide to truth, we cannot resist the conviction that spirit is 
substance, 'matter/ We must not confound the question 
under consideration with others of a similar character. The 
question is not respecting the source from which the Spirit 
proceeded, nor the elements and principles involved in its 
indestructible constitution, but it is, What difference is there 

163 



16 i THE REALITY AND 

between matter and spirit? I answer, — spirit is a word 
which signifies, in my mind, an organization of matter in the 
highest state of advancement, refinement, and perfection. 
Spirit is an indissoluble unity of the finest particles of mat- 
ter. There is as much difference between spirit and elec- 
tricity as there is between electricity and the common 
earth; but electricity is matter, and so is spirit. If we were 
above the plane of material development where spiritual 
organization takes place, then we would be, surrounded with 
illustrations and analogous processes; but as it is, you will 
readily perceive that a spirit can not investigate and com- 
prehend itself, and hence the obscurity which gathers around 
the investigation after we pass a certain point in the attempt 
to get above and look down upon the spiritual organization. 
But the difference between the apple and the appearance and 
substance of the tree which gave it birth and individuality, 
or between the wild rose and the rocky and mossy substances 
which gave that rose its nourishment and beauty, is not less 
strikingly wonderful than the difference which exist be- 
tween the matter we see and the spirit we feel. Detach the 
apple from the tree and compare it with the form and' sub- 
stance of that tree, and you have a no less powerful con- 
trast than that which we find when comparing what we feel 
and know of spirit with what we can see and handle of mat- 
ter. The phenomena of the former are no more understood 
and appreciated than the phenomena of the latter. Spirit 
is organized and eternalized at the highest point to which 
gross, or what is termed inanimate matter can ascend. 
Spirit is, therefore, matter in the highest state of refinement 
and organization ; and the difference consists simply in this : 
Matter is gross, inferior, and external — and spirit is refined, 
superior, and interior. The term Matter and Spirit, are 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 165 

thus indicative of the difference in the condition, form, and 
influence of the same identical substance, and nothing more. 

"Are Soul, Spirit and Mind Synonymous, or are they 
not? I am thankful for this question, because no oppor- 
tunity has presented itself, since the delivery of those lec- 
tures which compose the 'Revelations/ when an explanation 
seemed appropriate. And I have not been insensible to the 
vast amount of obscurity and contradiction which the diver- 
sified employment of these terms has produced among those 
who have struggled to become philosophically metaphysical, 
and even among those who consider themselves accom- 
plished reasoners. 

"Some philosophers, and Swedenborg among the num- 
ber, consider and affirm that the soul is the outermost en- 
veloping medium, that the spirit is the intermediate or con- 
junctive medium, and that the mind is the seat or center of 
the thinking Principle. Thus what I denominate Life is 
sometimes termed soul; what I denominate sensation, is 
sometimes termed spirit ; and what I denominate intelligence, 
is sometimes termed the mind. Theologians, I believe, do 
not attempt to discriminate between these progressive states 
of human individuality. I except, of course, the metaphy- 
sical portion of that profession. Now, in order to prevent 
misunderstanding hereafter, at least among those inquiring 
individuals who read what I have produced, or may produce, 
I cheerfully respond to the question. 

"1. I consider motion the first manifestation of mind, — 
an indication of the Great Mind which resides back of, and 
in, Nature; and a prophetical indication of the existence of 
a corresponding mind as an ultimate or perfection of Nature. 

"2. I consider Life the first development of Motion, 
and the second indication of Intelligence. 



166 THE REALITY AND 

"3. I consider Sensation the first development of life, 
and the third indication of future or ultimate Intelligence. 

"4. I consider Intelligence the highest development of 
Motion, Life, and Sensation, and a perfect manifestation of 
the internal living and unchangeable organization. And 
when I employ the terms Soul, Spirit, and Mind, I mean the 
internal and immortal Individual. When Motion, Life, 
Sensation and Intelligence are conjoined and organized, I 
term that organization a unity of elements and attributes; 
and these elements and attributes arrange according to their 
natural order, under the comprehensive- terms of * * * 
Love and Wisdom — terms which are perfectly expressive of 
the natural characteristics and legitimate manifestations of 
those internal principles. Therefore, when I use the nouns 
substantive — Soul, Spirit, Mind, and Individual — the 
thought which suggests their employment is resting invari- 
ably upon the inward Homo, upon the individual oneness, 
which is constructed upon those principles which elevate that 
oneness above the plane of change and disorganization. 
Hence the question is answered affirmatively — 'the terms 
are unqualifiedly synonymous." {The Great Harmonia, 
Vol. ii , pp. 248, 249, 250, 251.) 

If, then, Mr. Davis' argument is correct and matter and 
spirit are the "same identical substance, and nothing more," 
and if spirit, soul and mind are "unqualifiedly synonymous," 
then man so far from being a trinity is not even a duality, 
but, according to Mr. Davis' philosophy, is composed of 
only one substance — Matter, in different "states of advance- 
ment, refinement, and perfection." 

But if Mr. Davis is right, Judge Edmonds must be 
wrong, for he says : "That I have endeavored to show that 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 167 

man, in the beginning, possessing both a spirit and body, 

was connected by his body to the material part of creation. 
* * * 

"It was thus that God created man with a body to con- 
form to the natural system around him, and also with a 
spirit to appreciate that he was created by a Spirit with 
whom he was eternally to dwell." (Spiritualism, pp. 106, 
108.) 

While Mr. Ambler states that "the human being is com- 
posed of two substances, which are known as matter and 
spirit," yet he argues to prove that there is a third substance 
distinct from matter and spirit, which he terms "that in- 
ternal soul of spirit," which really makes man according to 
his own argument, a trinity consisting of Matter, Spirit and 
"Soul of Spirit." 

While these prominent Spiritualistic writers, each claim- 
ing to receive his information from the spirit side of life, 
are disagreed as to whether man is composed of one, or 
two substances, they also disagree with the teachings of 
many of the ancient and a few of the modern writers, who 
insist that Man is a trinity. 

In discussing this subject, Mr. Hudson says: 

"That man is a trinity, made up of 'body, soul, and 
spirit,' was a cardinal tenet of the faith of many ancient 
Greek philosophers, who thus clearly recognized the dual 
character of man's mental organization. Plato's idea of ter- 
restrial man was that he is a 'trinity of soul, soul-body, and 
earth-body.' The mystic jargon of the Hermetic philoso- 
phers discloses the same general idea. The 'salt, sulphur, 
and mercury' of the ancient alchemists doubtless refers to 
man as being composed of a trinity of elements. The early 
Christian Fathers confidently proclaimed the same doctrine, 



168 THE REALITY AND 

as is shown in the writings of Clement, Origen, Tatian, and 
other exponents of Christian doctrine. 

"Indeed, it may be safely assumed that the conception 
of this fundamental truth was more or less clearly defined 
in the minds of all ancient philosophers, both Christian and 
Pagan. It is the basis of their conception of God as the 
Trinity in His personality, modes of existence, and mani- 
festations, — a conception of which Schelling says: 'The 
philosophy of mythology proves that a trinity of divine po- 
tentialities is the root from which have grown the religious 
ideas of all nations of any importance that are known to us/ 

"In later times, Swedenborg, believing himself to be 
divinely inspired, declared that 'There appertains to every 
man an internal man, a rational man, and an external man, 
which is properly called the natural man.' Again he tells 
us that there are three natures, or degrees of life, in man, — 
'the natural, the spiritual, and the celestial.' ' (The Law of 
Psychic Phenomena, pp. 27, 28.) 

Thus we find that among all ancient nations "of any im- 
portance," Man was recognized as a trinity. 

Commenting upon the statement of Josephus, "That 
God took dust from the ground, and formed man, and in- 
serted in him a spirit and a soul," Mr. William Whiston 
says : "We may observe here, that Josephus supposed Man 
to be compounded of spirit, soul, and body, with St. Paul 
1 Thess. v., 23, and the rest of the ancients." (Antiquities 
of the Jews, B. i., p. 12.) 

This furnishes additional proof that among the great 
nations of antiquity the knowledge was universal that Man 
is a trinity. 

This teaching that Man is a trinity is further explained 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 169 

by Mr. Carroll, who clearly shows that man is composed of 
"three creations." He says: 

"That the broad distinctions which exists between man 
and the animals, is not due to man's possession of more per- 
fect physical and mental organisms, for, in these respects 
the difference between them is merely one of degree, not of 
kind. Hence, when, in the creation, man's physical and 
mental organisms were completed, he, like the animals, was 
simply a combination of matter and mind. At this period 
in his history there existed between God and man, as existed 
between God and the animals, only such relationship as 
naturally exists between the Creator and His creature — 
the relationship of the artist to the product of his art. In 
this condition, man, possessed of physical and mental organ- 
isms of the highest order — and life — physical life — derived 
from the combination of the elements of life, which were 
inherent in the matter of which his physical organism was 
composed, might have lived out a mere animal existence on 
the earth, without further endowments from the hand of 
God. * * * 

"God entertained nobler, grander, more sublime con- 
ception with regard to man, that peerless creature whom He 
proposed to honor by the bestowal of His likeness, and His 
image, and to whom He would confide dominion over the 
works of His hands. He desired that between Himself 
and man there should exist a close relationship of father and 
son ; that the intercourse between the Heavenly Father and 
His earthly son should not be confined to time, but would 
continue throughout eternity ; this required that, in addition 
to his physical life, derived from matter, man should be 
endowed with immortal life; this required that God would 
incorporate with man's physical and mental organisms, a 



170 THE REALITY AND 

part of his own substance; in the accomplishment of this; 
ennobling, far-reaching design, God 'breathed into his nos- 
trils the breath of life ; and man became a living soul/ Thus 
the three creations, Matter, Mind, and Soul, which are neces- 
sary to perfect man, were combined in 'Adam, the son of 
God.' " (The Tempter of Eve, pp. 292, 293, 294.) 

The existence of a trinity in man is an inseparable part 
of the teachings of the Bible. In addition to matter and 
mind, man is composed of another substance, a soul which 
God "breathed into his nostrils," and it is his possession of 
these three distinct substances, matter, mind, and soul, which 
makes Man a trinity. 



j 



CHAPTER XL 
Reproduction. 

As previously stated, soul is a part of the substance of 
God ; it is this which distinguishes mankind from the ani- 
mals; it is this that makes us "children of God" — it is our 
inheritance. 

Do you ask how is the soul transmitted? And at what 
period does it enter the body of the infant? In discussing 
this subject, Edmonds says: 

* "The spirit which enters the body of the child on being 
born, is the principle or germ. It has not existed previously 
in a sentient form, but has existed, as a principle, from the 
beginning. So intimately blended are the two, both body 
and soul, that the one was created to grow and expand with 
the other ; and though a child may die, yet the spirit grows 
and expands, and assumes very much the character here, 
which the full-grown man would have occupied on earth. 

"I think I can not be mistaken, that the child which has 
never been impressed with external effects, does not receive 
the soul which was destined for that body, but the germ 
enters a new body. The principle or germ constituting the 
soul has no more to distinguish it than the human embryo 
has, and neither has the soul any particular body designed for 
it ^ ^ 

"I mentioned that the spirit emanated from one source, 
which was God, or the universal germ. This germ has 
neither sex nor specialty, but being implanted in the em- 

171 



172 THE REALITY AND 

bryo, there assumes the characteristics of the body which is 
to be developed. The exact time when the spirit is intro- 
duced into the embryo is not yet known, but the embryo 
must possess sufficient vitality to permit the development of 
both spirit and body. Life is distinct from spirit, and the 
union of the two is not understood, even by spirits of a 
higher development. 

"But the embryo must possess sufficient of life to main- 
tain the spirit connection; thus, when the spirit enters the 
embryo, there must be vitality enough to maintain an equi- 
librium of the two forces." (Spiritualism, pp. 108, 109- 
118, 119.) 

Although the above statements were made by a spirit 
calling himself Swedenborg, who says that "beyond this 
life, in the bright regions where dwell the spirits made per- 
fect, are manifest the glories and attributes of God. From 
that region come I." Yet, neither he nor "even spirits of a 
higher development" have yet attained the knowledge of the 
reproduction of the immortal germ. 

Ambler's spirit friends have done better; they have, 
they say, a knowledge of how soul is made and reproduced. 
Writing under spirit control, he says: "It should be ob- 
served that in the human organization, the elements of spirit 
exist in a concentrated and organized form, constituting a 
separate and distinct personality with the material and ex- 
ternal frame. This indwelling organization is formed by 
the attractive influence of the germ of the soul, which germ 
is the essence of the Divine Being that has an existence in 
the most interior portions of all matter and becomes con- 
centrated in the structure of man, because he is the perfect 
flower of creation. Therefore, this internal organization, 
which is termed the human spirit, contains the essence of 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 173 

the Divinity as the inmost heart by which it is moved, ani- 
mated and governed, and it is by the power of this pure and 
heavenly germ that the organization of the inward man is 
maintained and preserved. * * * 

"In the ordinary condition of individuals, the elements 
of the spirit, being retained in the organization to which they 
belong through the power of the inward germ, are diffused 
to a certain extent throughout the entire system, and are 
caused to pervade the gross materials of which the body is 
composed. Therefore the spirit, in this condition is depend- 
ent on* the external organs — receives its intelligence chiefly 
through the medium of the external senses and produces the 
manifestations of its presence and power by an exercise of the 
material limbs. From this cause the existence of the spirit 
has been a matter of doubt with many intelligent and reason- 
ing minds, and there has been no evidence which would 
entirely remove the unbelief of the skeptic, with the excep- 
tion of that which is being produced in the present age by 
the inhabitants of celestial regions. But the spirit has a 
no less substantial and vigorous existence, though the more 
outward essences are intermingled with material elements, — 
because these essences are caused to maintain their appropri- 
ate position in the spiritual organization, through the power 
of the inmost heart which lives within its depths. Accord- 
ingly the spirit preserves the identity with which it is en- 
dowed, and continues under all circumstances the same 
separate and independent organization which it was origin- 
ally created. From the sentiment which is now before the 
mind, the spirits will proceed to remark that the spirit 
in the human body commences its existence where it 
does, because it was necessary that the elements of which 
it is composed should have a framework by which they 



174 THE REALITY AND 

might become properly arranged, and because it was re- 
quired that these elements should have a temporary basis 
in which to rest during the process of internal organization. 
But when the spirit has been created and caused to dwell 
within the external frame as an interior organization, then 
there can be no power or change in the whole Universe by 
which the spirit can be destroyed; and this reflection leads 
immediately to the subject on which the spirits proposed to 
address the reader. * * * 

"This, then, relates to the situation and development of 
the immortal germ of the spirit in the human body. The 
question arises with many individuals as to the first primary 
introduction of this germ into existence, and the mode of its 
development in the physical frame. This question shall be 
answered by the writers of this book so far as it relates to 
the essential formation and development of that internal 
soul of spirit, which is the source of its exhaustless life. 

"In commencing this revealment, the spirits desire to re- 
mark that the beauty and perfection of the spirit itself de- 
pends upon the presence of the interior germ to which refer- 
ence has been made. Without this, the spirit would dissolve 
and die like the external body, because it is not the external 
elements of which it is composed that renders it immortal, 
these elements having such an assimilation of nature with 
the surrounding materials of the Universe that they would 
be liable to become absorbed and swallowed up in the chaos 
of the external world; but it is the germ of purity — the 
spark of divine intelligence, which makes the immortality 
of the spirit, because these act as the magnet — the concen- 
trated union of essence which attracts the remaining ele- 
ments of the spiritual body into one perfect and individual- 
ized organism. In this germ is the assurance of endless 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 175 

being; in this is the seed whose indwelling essence is the at- 
tractive power which controls all mere external elements, 
and binds them together with a power which no outward 
force or change can separate. Therefore it is the germ of 
the soul which constitutes its endless being. It*is the spark 
of the divine essence, which dwells in the human spirit in its 
most concentrated form, that composes the deathless nature 
which is enstamped upon the living man. With this, there- 
fore, the spirits desire to commence, in the elucidation of the 
important point which was previously introduced. 

"They desire to say that the human being produces the 
corresponding type of its own nature, through the same 
principles of reproduction which are manifested in the ani- 
mal and vegetable kingdoms. But it is in the human body, 
the refined essences of spirit have become concentrated and 
individualized by the constant operation of the lower forms 
of matter, and hence in this is presented a spirit which is 
organized on similar and corresponding principles to those 
which are exemplified in the outward organism. The germ 
of the spiritual being, let it be understood, is the most in- 
terior of the spirit itself, or, in other words, the soul of the 
spirit ; let it be also impressed that the beauty and illumina- 
tion of the whole spirit depend upon the presence of this 
germ. From this truth it will be rendered clear to the 
mind of the reader that the perfection of the spirit implies 
the existence of the internal germ, as much as the perfec- 
tion of the human structure depends upon the existence of 
the spirit. Hence, it will be seen that, when the inherent 
qualities of the parent are transmitted to the offspring in 
the process of reproduction, the germ of the spirit becomes 
implanted as the seed of life — as the magnet which attracts 
all other elements which have an inherent affinity with this 



176 THE REALITY AND 

— and thus acts as the central and controlling power by 
which the material elements are gathered so as to form the 
external body. The first attribute, element, or quality 
which is transmitted in the process of reproduction, is the 
interior germ of the spirit; it is this which constitutes the 
inward power which combines the elements that compose 
both the spirit and the body. When the germ of the spirit 
has been transmitted and implanted, then this begins to at- 
tract and gather to itself the surrounding elements which 
have a kindred relation and character, even as the little seed 
implanted in the earth is expanded by the attraction of the 
materials which is gathered in the womb. of earth. Then, 
after this process has commenced, the more external form 
of the spirit begins to be created on the principle which has 
been explained, — magnetism makes the clothing of the in- 
ward germ, and electricity as a still grosser element, forms 
the clothing of the magnetic essence, and thus, through 
these beautiful gradations, the entire spirit is at last formed 
within the exterior womb and gradually attracts to itself 
those materials of a grosser nature, which make up the body 
of the infant, and compose the shelter and tabernacle for the 
undeveloped inhabitant of the earth." (Spiritual Teacher, 
pp. 145, 146, 147, 30, 31, 32, 33.) 

One would naturally suppose that the "spark of divine 
intelligence, which makes the immortality of the spirit," 
would be peculiar to man ; but in this we are mistaken, if the 
spirits are correct, for they tell us that the "germ of soul" 
has an existence in the most interior portions of all matter." 
Then "all matter" must be immortal ; no, we are again mis- 
taken, for while this "germ of the soul" or "spark of divine 
intelligence" can by the very power of its presence, render 
the soul immortal, and without it the "spirit would dissolve 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 177 

and die like the external body," yet this same "divine intel- 
ligence/' which has an "existence in the most interior por- 
tions of all matter" has not the power to preserve the body, 
but allows it to "dissolve and die." Is it reasonable to sup- 
pose that this "germ of the soul" could appropriate unto 
itself the attributes of Deity and give "immortal life," and 
at the same time be powerless to save the mere external 
frame if it did actually exist in "all matter ?" 

For some reason the information of the spirits is not en- 
tirely correct. Perhaps they have not "progressed" far 
enough, or have not as yet sufficiently "unfolded," or may- 
hap they have obtained only a part of a truth. What the 
spirits term "divine intelligence," the "soul of spirit," 
a "spark of divinity," is what we term soul, a part of 
the substance of God ; it does not, however, exist in 
"all nature," but is peculiar to man and it is this which 
enables him by a life of obedience to Divine law to obtain 
eternal life. But they are correct in their statements that the 
soul is reproduced at the same time and in the same way as 
the physical and mental organisms. 

In discussing the reproduction of the "three creations," 
of which the soul is one, Mr. Carroll says : . 

"In discussing this question, let us bear in mind that 
matter is the basis of all formations in the material uni- 
verse, whether it exist alone, as in the plant ; or in combina- 
tion with mind, as in the animal; or in combination with 
mind and soul, as in man. It should be unnecessary to say 
that the reproduction of these three creations, as they exist 
in plants, in animals, and in man, are governed by laws which 
God enacted in the creation, and which are positive and 
unerring in their operations and results. 

"By way of ascertaining the operations and results of 



178 THE REALITY AND 

these laws, we shall first investigate the reproduction of 
plants, in which only the matter creation is represented ; and, 
inasmuch as the manner in which they are reproduced is 
generally understood, we shall take as our illustration the 
flowering plants, in which the sexes are represented in the 
male and in the female bloom. It is well known that the re- 
production of these plants results from the union of the 
pollen, or fecundating dust of the stamen of the male bloom 
with the pollen or fecundating dust of the pistil of the female 
bloom. This indicates that one side or part of the matter 
creation, with all the elements of life — physical life — exists 
in the male bloom; and that its corresponding side or part 
exists in the female bloom ; these opposite, but mutually de- 
pendent sides or parts, each act as a magnet which attracts its 
corresponding side or part in the opposite sex; and, when 
the two are united in the female bloom, the matter creation 
is perfected and reproduced in the young plant. But if, as 
frequently occurs, the matter creation as it exists in its im- 
perfect state in the respective germs of the male and female 
blooms, are not united in the female bloom, these vital ele- 
ments are wasted, and the reproduction of the matter crea- 
tion in the young plant is not accomplished. 

"The same law governs the reproduction of the animal, 
in which the two creations — matter and mind — exist in the 
respective germs of the male and the female. One side or 
part of the matter creation, with all the elements of life — 
physical life — and one side or part of the mind creation, 
exists in ah imperfect state in the male animal; the corre- 
sponding sides or parts of these imperfect creations exist in 
the female animal. Observation teaches that by uniting the 
imperfect sides or parts of these creations in the female, re- 
sults in their being perfected and reproduced in the young 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 179 

animal. This indicates that each of these creations main- 
tains its individuality in their respective germs of the male 
and the female animal, and that each side or part of these 
imperfect creations acts as a magnet, which attracts its cor- 
responding side or part in the opposite sex. Hence, when 
sexual union occurs, each side or part of these two creations 
— matter and mind — are united and perfected in the female, 
conception and birth results, and the combination of matter 
and mind as they existed in the parents is reproduced in the 
offspring. 

"But if, as frequently occurs, from various causes, these 
imperfect matter and mind creations, as they exist in the 
respective germs of the male and female animal, are not 
united and perfected in the female, these vital elements are 
wasted, conception does not result, and the reproduction of 
these two creations in a young animal is not accomplished. 
The strength of our argument is demonstrated by the ac- 
tions of our domestic fowls; it frequently occurs that the 
female fowl, when not associated with the male fowl, will 
lay eggs ; but such eggs will not 'hatch.' This is due to the 
fact that but one side or part — the female side or part of 
the two creations, matter and mind, as they existed in the 
germ of the female — was represented in the egg ; their cor- 
responding side or part in the male, which was necessary 
to perfect the two creations in the female, were not present ; 
and as a result the effort of the female to reproduce these 
two creations in a young animal, independently of the male 
was abortive. 

"The same law which governs the reproduction of the 
matter creation in the plant and the reproduction of the 
matter and the mind creations in the animal, must also govern 
the reproduction of the three creations — matter, mind, and 



180 THE REALITY AND 

soul — as they exist in the respective germs of the male and 
female man. One side or part of the matter creation with all 
the elements of physical life ; and one side or part of the mind 
creation; and one side or part of the soul creation with its 
peculiar characteristic — immortal life — exists in an imper- 
fect state in the germ of the male man; the corresponding 
sides or parts of these imperfect creations exist in the germ 
of the female man. By the union of these imperfect crea- 
tions in the female man, they are perfected and reproduced 
in the offspring. This indicates that each of these imper- 
fect creations maintains its individuality in the respective 
germs of the male and the female man; and that each of 
these imperfect creations acts as a magnet, which attracts its 
corresponding side or part in the opposite sex. When sexual 
union occurs, each side or part of these imperfect creations 
unites with its corresponding side or part in the female, and 
is thus perfected ; conception results, and the three creations 
— matter, mind, and soul — are reproduced in the off-spring. 
Thus, it is shown that the reproduction of the immortal soul, 
in combination with matter and with mind as it exists in 
man, is as natural and as simple a process as the reproduc- 
tion of the animal or the plant; and that it is governed by 
the same laws." (The Tempter of Eve, pp. 302, 303, 304, 
305, 306.) 

Mr. Carroll has so clearly and fully explained the man- 
ner of the reproduction of the physical, mental and soul or- 
ganisms that he leaves little or nothing to be added except 
to say that it is the only rational explanation, we ever* read, 
of the process by which these great ends are accomplished. 

We have inquired into the mysteries of life and have 
learned how matter, mind and soul are reproduced or born ; 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 181 

it is now our privelege to inquire into and inform ourselves 
concerning the mysteries of death. 

In presenting the spirit's explanation of the term, death, 
Mr. Ambler says : 

"It is universally known upon the earth, that there is a 
change which passes upon the human frame whereby its 
vitality is extinguished and its elements dissolved. It is 
known that this change has been the essential attribute of 
the physical frame — an attribute by which it becomes like 
the perishing flower of summer or the falling leaves of au- 
tumn. It is known that this change has been a source of 
the deepest grief and sorrow — and that it has been the cause 
of the most heart rendering suffering which mortals can 
experience, and that it is has been the direful destroyer of 
human hopes and the dreaded desolation of earthly joys. 
This change has been denominated death by those who do 
not properly appreciate its nature, which term does not ex- 
press the reality of the change that is here indicated. The 
term death indicates an entire extinction of being, and is 
appropriate only to apply to the external appearances that 
is visible in physical dissolution. As has been shown in 
a previous paragraph, the spirit — the organization which 
lives within the man — can never die. The storm and tempest 
may breath upon it, but it remains ever firm and steadfast 
as the eternal rock; the outward tabernacle in which it has 
been nurtured may dissolve, but this endures as the sub- 
lime creation of the Infinite; and when the change which 
passes upon all flesh brings destruction to the physical frame 
the spirit by which it was sustained soars upward with a 
freed wing towards the attractive sky. Death, therefore, 
which has been the cause of sorrow and mourning to the 
inhabitants of the earthly world, is not an entire extinction 



182 THE REALITY AND 

of being as has been supposed, and as this term indicates; 
but it is the glorious birth of the spirit, a process or change 
by which it is released from the fading tabernacle of clay, 
and is enabled to exercise its own exalted powers on the light 
of a more expanded sphere. 

"The spirits have now arrived at a point where it will 
be necessary to elucidate the nature of the birth which is 
here mentioned. They desire to speak of the beautiful and 
interesting process by which the spirit becomes separated 
from its material structure and is born into the celestial 
world. It has been stated that the elements of the spirit or- 
dinarily diffused through the entire organization of the body, 
and are not in a state of perfect concentration so as to be 
withdrawn from it as a perfect and undivided form. There- 
fore, when the vitality which forms the connecting link be- 
tween the spirit and its frame-work is destroyed, the ele- 
ments of which the spiritual body is composed are attracted 
from the surface and extremities of the organism to the 
brain, from which they are eliminated in the form of an 
emanation or atmosphere that constitutes the substance of the 
spirit. When this emanation or atmosphere has become 
completely thrown off from the perishing body, then this 
gradually forms into a perfect figure, through the attractive 
power of the most interior essence which has been denomi- 
nated the germ of the soul. After this process has been 
completed, and the spiritual form has been rendered perfect 
and indestructible by the combination of kindred elements, 
then the spirit is gradually separated from the structure to 
which it was previously attracted, and is borne away by the 
aid of congenial companions to the position in the spiritual 
world which it naturally and appropriately occupies. Thus 
the death of the body is the beautiful birth of the spirit ; and 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 183 

the spirits have presented this explanation simply that the 
perfection of the existing universe and the laws which 
govern it, may be made clearly manifest." (Spiritual 
Teacher, pp. 147, 148, 149.) 

Since the spiritual body is composed of a substance dis- 
tinct from the physical body, we should not be surprised 
that it has an independent existence. In discussing this 
question, Mr. Davis says : 

"It is evident that the use of Nature is to individualize 
Man; that it is the use of man to individualize the spirit. 
But now the question spontaneously arises: how can the 
spirit exist independent of the body, and how can its per- 
sonality be preserved ? I am taught to reply that the spirit 
can exist separate and independent of the body on the same 
ground that the body can exist separate from or independent 
of Nature. For nature made the body even as the body 
made the mind, and be it remembered, the same unchange- 
able and eternal principles of creation operate uniformly 
everywhere and at all times. And I am further taught that 
the spirit preserves its identity on the ground that every or- 
ganization is absolutely different. This fact precludes the 
possibility of absorption, or amalgamation, or disorganiza- 
tion. The difference in the arrangement of inherent ele- 
ments establishes the individual in this life, and through all 
eternity. If spirits were constituted alike, they would in- 
evitably and irresistibly gravitate to but one center, would 
desire to occupy but one position, and to fill but one locality. 
But being constitutionally dissimilar, they can not, nor do 
they desire, to be absorbed by, or amalgamated with other 
spirits, nor can they lose themselves, as some have been led 
to suppose, in the universal Spirit or Great Positive Mind. 

"There are three evidences, therefore, that the soul will 



184 THE REALITY AND 

preserve its identity after the change which is called death. 
They are these: 1. It is designed that Nature should de- 
velop the body. 2. It is designed that the Body should de- 
velop the Mind. 3. It is designed that the Mind should 
develop itself differently from other minds, and to live for- 
ever. These are no inferences, no conclusions based upon 
hypothetical reasons, but they are the universal testimonies 
and absolute demonstrations of creation — indeed, they are 
simply Nature's own instructions.* You can readily, I 
think, believe and comprehend, why there will exist a 'recol- 
lection of the past and a recognition of friends' in the other 
world, by reflecting upon and understanding the ultimate 
condition which exists between the first and second spheres of 
human existence. The relation is as intimate as that between 
youth and maturity, love and wisdom, perception and mem- 
ory. The experience, character, and progress of an indi- 
vidual in this life is recorded upon, and will be, to a modi- 
fied extent, manifested by that individual in the life to come. 
And the friend or companion who has impressed us with 
friendship and affection here, will be remembered hereafter. 

"The passage from this sphere into the next is no more 
a change to the individual than a journey from America 
to England, excepting the almost complete emancipation 
consequent upon the change, from rudimenetal misdirection 
and earthly imperfections. 

"So I am taught concerning the principles upon which 
rest the sublime and heavenly realities of an eternal life. 
And so I am taught concerning the transformation known 
as physical death. Aid I can assure you that, to the con- 
vinced and enlarged understanding, there is no death, — 

*"There are two other demonstrations of the soul's immortality, viz. : The 
independence of the mind from the bodily organism, as manifested in clair- 
voyance; and spiritual communication, through electric vibrations." 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 185 

only the most important and delightful change in the mode 
of personal existence. And as we are immortal, and the 
memories of this life remain with us until displaced by more 
profitable and spiritual ones, let us at once resolve to insti- 
tute and manifest henceforth a well ordered life, and a 
godly conversation." (The Great Harmonia, Vol. ii., pp. 
240, 241, 242.) 

Mr. Davis had a very rare experience when he witnessed 
the separation of the spiritual body from the physical body, 
which he describes in the following language : 

"Death is but a door which opens into new and more 
perfect existence. It is a Triumphial Arch through which 
man's immortal spirit passes at the moment of leaving the 
outer world to depart for a higher, a sublimer, and a more 
magnificent country. And there is really nothing more pain- 
ful or repulsive in the natural process of dying (that which is 
not induced by disease or accident) than there is in passing 
into a quite, pleasant, and dreamless slumber. The truthful- 
ness of this proposition is remarkably illustrated and con- 
firmed by the following observations and investigations into 
the physiological and psychological phenomena of death; 
which my spirit was qualified to make upon the person of a 
diseased individual at the moment of physical dissolution. 
* # * 

"I saw that the physical organization could no longer 
subserve the diversified purposes or requirements of the 
spiritual Principle. But the various internal organs of the 
body appeared to resist the withdrawal of the animating 
soul. The muscular system strove to retain the element of 
Motion ; the vascular system strove to retain the element of 
life; the nervous system put forth all its powers to retain 
the element of Sensation; and the cerebral system labored 



186 THE REALITY AND 

to retain the principle of Intelligence. The body and the 
soul, like two friends strongly resisted the various circum- 
stances which rendered their eternal separation imperative 
and absolute. These internal conflicts gave rise to mani- 
festations of what seemed to be, to the material senses the 
most thrilling and painful sensation; but I was un- 
speakably thankful and delighted when I perceived and 
realized the fact that those physical manifestations were in- 
dications, not of pain or unhappiness, but simply that the 
Spirit was eternally dissolving its co-partnership with the 
material organism. 

"Now the head of the body became suddenly enveloped 
in a fine — soft — mellow- — luminous atmosphere; and, as in- 
stantly, I saw the cerebrum and the cerebellum expand their 
most interior portions ; I saw them discontinue their appro- 
priate galvanic functions; and then I saw that they became 
highly charged with the vital electricity and vital magnetism 
which permeate subordinate systems and structures. That 
is to say, the Brain, as a whole, suddenly declared itself to 
be tenfold more positive, over the lower portions of the 
body, than it ever was during the period of health. This 
phenomenon invariably precedes physical dissolution. 

"Now the process of dying, or of the spirit's departure 
from the body, was fully commenced. The brain began to 
attract the elements of electricity, of magnetism, of motion, 
of life, and of sensation, into its various and numerous de- 
partments. The head became intensely brilliant ; and I par- 
ticularly remarked that just in the same proportion as the 
extremities of the organism grew dark, and cold, the brain 
appeared light and glowing. 

"Now I saw, in the mellow spiritual atmosphere, which 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 187 

emanated from, and encircled her head, the indistinct out- 
lines of the formation of another head ! The reader should 
remember that these super-sensuous processes are not visible 
to anyone except the spiritual perceptions be unfolded; for 
material eyes can only behold material things, and spiritual 
eyes can only behold spiritual things. This is a Law of Na- 
ture. This new head unfolded more and more distinctly; 
and indescribably compact and intensely brilliant did it be- 
come, that I could neither see through it, nor gaze upon it 
as steadily as I desired. While this spiritual head was being 
eliminated and organized from out of, and above, the ma- 
terial head, I saw that the surrounding aromal atmosphere 
which had emanated from the material head was in great 
commotion ; but as the new head became more distinct and 
perfect, this brilliant atmosphere gradually disappeared. 
This taught me that those aromal elements, which were, in 
the beginning of the metamorphoses attracted from the sys- 
tem into the brain, and thence eliminated in the form of an 
atmosphere, were indissolubly united in accordance with 
the divine principle of affinity in the universe, which per- 
vades and disseminates every particle of matter, and de- 
veloped the Spiritual head which I beheld. 

"With inexpressible wonder, and with a heavenly and 
unutterable reverence I gazed upon the holy and harmonious 
processes that were going on before me. In the identical 
manner in which the spiritual head was eliminated and 
unchangeably organized, I saw unfolding in their nat- 
ural, progressive order, the harmonious development of the 
neck, the shoulders, the breast, and the entire spiritual or- 
ganization. It appeared from this, even to an unequivocal 
demonstration, that the innumerable particles of what might 



188 THE REALITY AND 

be termed unparticled matter, which constitutes the man's 
Spiritual principle, are constitutionally endowed with cer- 
tain elective affinities analogous to an immortal friendship. 
The innate tendencies, which the elements and essences of 
her soul manifested by uniting and organizing themselves, 
were the efficient and imminent causes which unfolded and 
perfected her spiritual organization. The defects and deform- 
ities of her physical body, were in the spiritual body which 
I saw thus developed, almost completely removed. In other 
words, it seemed that those hereditary obstructions and in- 
fluences were now removed, which originally arrested the 
full and proper development of her physical constitution; 
and, therefore, that her spiritual constitution, being elevated 
above those obstructions, was enabled to unfold and perfect 
itself, in accordance with the universal tendencies of all 
created things. 

"While this spiritual formation was going on, which 
was perfectly visible to my spiritual perceptions, the ma- 
terial body manifested to the outer vision of observing indi- 
viduals in the room, many symptoms of uneasiness and 
pain ; but these indications were totally deceptive ; they were 
wholly caused by the departure of the vital or spiritual 
forces from the extremities and viscera into the brain, and 
thence into the ascending organism. 

"The spirit arose at right angles over the head or brain 
of the deserted body. But immediately previous to the final 
dissolution of the relationship which had for so many years 
subsisted between the two spiritual and material bodies, I 
saw — playing energetically between the feet of the elevated 
spiritual body and the head of the prostrate phy- 
sical body — a bright stream or current of vital electricity. 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 189 

This taught me, that what is customarily termed Death is 
but a Birth of the spirit from a lower into a higher state; 
that an inferior body and mode of existence are exchanged 
for a superior body and corresponding endowments and ca- 
pabilities of happiness. I learned that the correspondence 
between the birth of a child into this world, and the birth 
of the spirit from the material body into a higher world, is 
absolute and complete — even to the umbilical cord, which 
was represented by the thread of vital electricity, which, 
for a few minutes, subsisted between, and connected the two 
organisms together. And here I perceived, what I had 
never before obtained knowledge of, that a small portion of 
this vital electrical element returned to the deserted body, 
immediately subsequent to the separation of the umbilical 
thread; and that that portion of this element which passed 
back into the earthly organism, instantly diffused itself 
through the entire structure, and thus prevented immediate 
decomposition. 

' "It is not proper that a body should be deposited in the 
earth until after decomposition has positively commenced; 
for, should there be no positive evidence of such structural 
change, even though life seems surely to have departed, it 
is not right to consign the body to the grave. The umbilical 
life cord, of which I speak, is sometimes not severed, but is 
drawn out into the finest possible medium of sympathetic 
connection between the body and the Spirit. This is in- 
variably the case when individuals apparently die, and, after 
being absent for a few days or hours, return, as from a peace- 
ful journey, to relate their spiritual experiences. Such 
phenomena are modernly termed, Trances, Catalepsy, Som- 
nambulism, and Spiritual extasis. There are many different 



190 THE REALITY AND 

stages, or divisions, and subdivisions, of these states. But 
when the spirit is arrested in its flight from the body, and 
when it is held in a transitional or mediatorial state, for only 
a few hours or minutes, then the mind seldom retains a 
recollection of its experiences — this state, of forgetfulness, 
seems, to a superficial observer, like annihilation; and this 
occasional suspension of consciousness (or memory) is fre- 
quently made the foundation of many an argument against 
the soul's immortal existence. It is when the spirit entirely 
leaves the body — only retaining proprietorship over it, 
through the medium of the unsevered umbilical thread or 
electric wire, as it might be called — and that the soul is 
enabeled to abandon its earthly tenement and interests, for 
many hours or days and afterward to return to the earth — 
ladened with bright and happy memories. 

"As soon as the spirit, whose departing hour I thus 
watched, was wholly disengaged from the tenacious phy- 
sical body, I directed my attention to the movements and 
emotions of the former; and I saw her begin to breath the 
most interior, or spiritual portions of the surrounding ter- 
restrial atmosphere. * * * 'At first it seemed with dif- 
ficulty that she could breathe the new medium ; but in a few 
seconds, she inhaled and exhaled the spiritual elements of 
nature, with the greatest possible ease and delight. And now 
I saw that she was in the possession of exterior and physical 
proportions, which were identical, in every possible par- 
ticular — improved and beautified with those proportions 
which characterized her earthly organization. That is to 
say, she possessed a heart, a stomach, a liver, lungs, etc., etc. 
just as her natural body did previous to (not her, but) its 
death.' This is a wonderful and consoling truth! But I 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 191 

saw that the improvements which were wrought upon, and 
in her spiritual organization, were not so particular and 
thorough as to destroy or transcend her personality; nor 
did they materially alter her natural appearance or earthly 
characteristics. So much like her former self was she, that 
had her friends beheld her (as I did), they certainly would 
have exclaimed — as we often do upon the sudden return of 
a long-absent friend, who leaves us in illness and returns in 
health — 'Why, how well you look, how improved you are!' 
Such were the nature — most beautifying in their extent — of 
the improvements that were wrought upon her. 

"I saw her continue to conform and accustom herself to 
the new elements and elevating sensations which belong to 
the inner life. I did not particularly notice the workings 
and emotions of her newly awaking and fast unfolding 
spirit; except that I was careful to remark, her philosophic 
tranquility throughout the entire process, and her non-par- 
ticipation, with the different members of her family, in their 
unrestrained bewailing of her departure from the earth, to 
unfold in Love and Wisdom throughout eternal spheres. 
She understood, at a glance, that they could only gaze upon 
the cold and lifeless form which she had just deserted; and 
she readily comprehended the fact, that it was owing to a 
want of true knowledge upon their parts, that they thus ve- 
hemently regretted her merely physical death. * * * 

"The period required to accomplish the entire change, 
which I saw, was not far from two hours and a half; but 
this furnishes no rule as to the time required for every spirit 
to elevate and reorganize itself above the head of the outer 
form. Without changing my position, or spiritual percep- 
tions, I continued to observe the movements of her new-born 



192 THE REALITY AND 

spirit. As soon as she became accustomed to the new ele- 
ments which surrounded her, she descended from her ele- 
vated position, which was immediately over the body, by an 
effort of the will-power, and directly passed out of the door 
of the bedroom, in which she had lain (in the material form) 
prostrated with disease for several weeks. It being in a 
summer month, the doors were all open, and her egress 
from the house was attended with no obstructions. I saw 
her pass through the adjoining room, out of the door, and 
step from the house into the atmosphere! I was over- 
whelmed with delight and astonishment when, for the first 
time, I realized the universal truth that spiritual organiza- 
tion can tread the atmosphere, which, while in the coarser 
earthly form, we breathe — so much more refined is man's 
spiritual constitution. She walked in the atmosphere as easily, 
and in the same manner as we tread the earth, and ascend 
an eminence. Immediately upon her emergement from the 
house, she was joined by two friendly spirits from the spir- 
itual country; and, after tenderly recognizing and commun- 
ing with each other, the three, in the most graceful manner, 
began ascending obliquely through the ethereal envelopment 
of our globe. They walked so naturally and fraternally 
together, that I could scarcely realize the fact that they 
trod the air — they seemed to be walking upon the side of a 
glorious but familiar mountain ! I continued to gaze upon 
them until the distance shut them from my view ; whereupon 
I returned to my external and ordinary condition. O, what 
a contrast! Instead of beholding that beautiful and youth- 
fully unfolded spirit, I now saw, in common with those about 
me, the lifeless — cold — and shrouded organism of the cater- 
pillar, which the joyous butterfly had so recently abandoned ! 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 193 

"Death is but the local or final development of a succes- 
sion of specific changes in the corporeal organism of man. 
As the death of the germ is necessary to the birth or develop- 
ment of the flower, so is the death of man's physical body an 
indispensable precedent and indication of his spiritual birth 
or resurrection. That semi-unconscious slumber into which 
the soul and body mutually and irresistibly glide, when dark- 
ness pervades the earth, is typical of death. Sleep is but 
death undeveloped; or in other words, sleep is the incipient 
manifestation of that thorough and delightful change, which 
is the glorious result of our present rudimental existence. 
Night and sleep correspond to physical death; but the bril- 
liant day, and human wakefulness, correspond to spiritual 
birth and individual elevation." (The Great Harmoniq, 
Vol. i., pp. 163-173, inc.) 

The spiritualistic teaching that there is a physical body 
and a spiritual body, we accept, because it is taught in the 
Bible, for Paul says: "There is a natural body and there 
is a spiritual body." (1 Cor. xv., 44.) 

The spiritualistic teaching that at death there occurs a 
separation between the natural body and the spiritual body 
and that the spiritual body survives physical dissolution, we 
also accept because it is taught throughout the Scriptures. 

As has been shown, and is universally recognized, plants 
are a combination of the elements of matter only, and at 
death, these elements disunite and resolve themselves into 
their original forms. 

The same laws that govern the plants control the phys- 
ical organisms of the animals and man and when death 
ensues, the same results follow, so far as matter is concerned. 



194 THE REALITY AND 

But the mind, whether of man or the animals, being 
something distinct from and in nowise dependent upon 
matter, it naturally follows that it would be operated and 
governed by laws distinct from those that govern matter. 
Consequently, when the body, which is composed of matter, 
undergoes the change called death, and the elements return 
to their original conditions there is nothing to indicate that 
the mind also perishes. On the contrary we accept the 
teaching of the Bible and hold that the mind survives the 
death of the body, as for example the case of Samuel (1 
Sam. xxviii., 7, 8, ect). To that extent spiritualism is true. 
But because the mind does survive death, let us not make the 
same mistake our spiritualistic friends have and claim for 
it immortality, for the mind is as mortal as the body. 

Somewhere in this material universe the departed mind 
or spirit exists as a living, thinking, reasoning conscious 
entity, and will so exist as long as time endures, but when 
the angel shall stand with one foot on the sea and another 
upon the land, and declare, "That there shall be time no 
longer," then will the spirit with all that is material, perish. 
Thus it is plain that it is not the spirit or mind, which we 
hold, are identical, and common to the man, and the animals, 
that attains immortality ; for if this were true, the spirit of 
the animal, could acquire eternal life the same as that of man. 
But that which may attain immortality, and which pre-emi- 
nently distinguishes man from the animal, is the soul. 

As the mind or spirit resides within the body, so does the 
soul reside within the spirit and body. And as the mind or 
spirit at death assumes a separate and conscious existence 
from the body, so will the soul at the death of the spirit 
assume a conscious and independent existence. 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 195 

In this crash in which all organization both celestial and 
terrestrial is destroyed, the mental organisms of man and the 
animal will perish ; but the soul of man — "the breath of life," 
survives the end of time and returns to the God who 
gave it. 

As man is composed of a trinity of substances, matter, 
mind, and soul, so is he composed of a trinity of lives, each 
one separate and distinct and in nowise dependent upon the 
other. Physical life, he holds in common with the animals 
and plants ; mental or spiritual life, in common with the ani- 
mals ; soul-life — eternal life — he may hold in common with 
his God. 

The child is born to inherit body, mind or spirit and 
soul. Like the flower the body withereth and returns to 
mother earth; the spirit freed from the habitation of clay, 
passes into spirit land to await the judgment day from 
whence the soul elect passeth with its God to immortality. 



CHAPTER XII. 
This Intermediate State. 

That our departed friends and relations still reside within 
our material universe may occasion some surprise to those 
not at all familiar with spiritualism or who have never in- 
vestigated the subject. 

Since the spiritual body survives death and exists sepa- 
rate from and independent of the physical body, and yet is 
mortal, it is but natural that it should occupy a portion of 
our material universe. 

The majority of people look upon departed spirits or 
minds as something supernatural, something "uncanny," and 
in speaking of their return and manifestations, a cold, creepy 
feeling goes up and down the spine, even among those who 
claim that they are "not afraid." After a prolonged dis- 
cussion of spiritual manifestations or after attending a 
"seance," there is a disposition among most persons to avoid 
entering or being left alone in a dark room, as though dread- 
ing some supernatural occurrence. This is all wrong and is 
the result of ignorance and superstition. We should always 
bear in mind that departed spirits or minds, are not immor- 
tal, but mortal, and that they are no more a denizen of eter- 
nity now than formerly and that there is really nothing more 
supernatural in the manifestation of spirits or minds out of 
the body than any other phenomenon of nature. They are 

196 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 197 

still a part of the material universe, and as such, are con- 
trolled by laws instituted by God. 

Being mortal, they require a material home. The exist- 
ence of an intermediate state in which departed spirits or 
minds reside was a belief common among the ancients ; but 
it is not to the ancients alone, but to the Bible also, that we 
are indebted for a knowledge of such a place; besides the 
evidence presented by modern spirits or minds who have at- 
tempted to describe their place of abode, their occupations, 
what they eat, their religion, etc. But where is this inter- 
mediate state, this home of the departed spirits or minds? 
Mr. Ambler, as the mouth-piece of the spirits, says : 

"The spirits wish, in the present Lecture, to unfold the 
beauties and glories which pervade the celestial home. They 
desire to reveal as far as possible to the gross and darkened 
minds of mortals, the attractions which are visible and ap- 
parent in the Heaven of the Spirit, that the inhabitants of 
earth may attain some feeble conception of the destiny which 
awaits them, in the change or birth, which passes over the 
outward frame and gives to the spirit its longed and sighed 
for freedom. The truths which they desire to present have 
no assimilation with the groveling doctrines and theories of 
men; nor do they correspond in all respects with the reve- 
lations of the seers who have illuminated the world with 
many truthful and important sayings. It will be the design 
of the present writers to reveal what is true and wise — to 
unfold the real reality, and not the external representative — 
to speak of what they see, and feel, and realize to be the 
truth, independent of all previous revelations, and apart 
from all erroneous and imperfect statements of former writ- 



198 THE REALITY AND 

ings. It will be their object to present the subject to be dis- 
cussed in a rational and philosophical light, and not, as has 
been commonly presented, in the light of dark sayings and 
superstitious views. It will be the desire of the writers to 
reveal the living thoughts and the inexpressible happiness 
which dwell in the bosom of the redeemed spirit, and per- 
vade the mansion which it inhabits. Therefore, will they 
commence the statements which they desire to make, by un- 
folding the truth that the Heaven of the spirit is the abode of 
the immortal being, which is enshrined within the human 
frame — that this is the home for which this being is born on 
the earth, and the sphere to which it is destined in the fu- 
ture expansion which it will enjoy in the change from the 
mortal to the immortal, and from the scenes of decay and 
death to the realms of brightness and life. * * * 

"It should be stated that the heaven of the spirit is not 
the material heaven which has been imagined by the re- 
ligionists of earth — that it is not the abode of slothful ease 
and inactivity, which is the desire only of the material na- 
ture — that it has no correspondence with the mansions of 
the wealthy, the couch of the voluptuary, or the green fields 
in which the brute reposes. The abode which is here repre- 
sented indicates the home of the active, energized and ever- 
aspiring soul ; it is a home where there is rest of a spiritual 
nature — rest which is independent of an ease of body, or a 
satiety of taste, but rest which frees the spirit from all 
the burdening shackles of the animal nature — which gives 
freedom from all bondage of sensual passion — which consists 
in the peaceful, yet heavenward flow of all the most interior 
thought, and which is enjoyed in the tranquil harmony that 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 199 

pervades the bosom of the immortal being, and lingers in 
all the atmosphere which it inhales. 

"The spirits desire that this portion of the subject should 
be duly understood; because it is necessary that the true 
object to be attained should be clearly revealed, in order 
that the inward aspirations may be righteously governed. 
The materialist who dreams of Heaven as a place where 
he can feel the external pleasures which he enjoys on earth, 
should be informed that there is no abode in all the mansions 
of the Father where his dreams will be realized ; and the sen- 
sualist who looks at the home of the spirit only as a place of 
ease — where the rivers of pleasure flow through all the ex- 
panding plains and feasts of fat things are spread to allure 
the earthly taste, should distinctly understand that he can 
never enter the home of the immortals until he has become 
freed from the low desires and sensual feelings by which 
he is moved in his present state. Heaven, so far as 
regards the enjoyment which is received by the spirit, is no 
place, and hence it can never be enjoyed simply by rising 
a certain distance above the plane on which the earthly being 
gropes and grovels; and though the home of the soul has 
reference to substance as well as condition, this can never 
be truly enjoyed — its beauties can never be fully realized, 
until the internal being is in harmony with the visible glory. 
Therefore is it important that this Heaven should be first 
regarded as a state, the true enjoyment of which will de- 
pend upon the presence of certain qualities in the heart of 
the spirit. * * * 

"But though it is true, as has been stated, that Heaven 
must commence with the spirit itself, and be made dependent 



200 THE REALITY AND 

upon no external conditions, yet it is true that the human 
spirit, when it leaves the outward tabernacle in which it pri- 
marily resides, is introduced into a Sphere which has a cer- 
tain relation to the sphere of the earthly world, presenting 
the refinement, sublimation and perfection of all the external 
beauties which are here visible, and breathing upon the 
senses of the spirit those elevating and congenial influences 
which are adapted to promote its growth and expansion. 
This Sphere is situated at a distance of about fifty miles 
above the surface of the earth. It is formed by the spiritual 
emanation, which flows off from this planet and all the ob- 
jects which it contains, and presents the out-birth or refined 
atmosphere of the lower world. Spirits see that the process 
by which this reality is formed is sublime and beautiful 
in the extreme, though it is difficult in the present state 
of the human mind, to unfold this in such a manner as to 
render it fully comprehensible. It should be known that 
there is both a material and a spiritual atmosphere, which 
flows off constantly from the surface of the earth ; that the 
material atmosphere rises to the distance of fifty miles, at 
which point it ceases to ascend, on account of the attracting 
influence of the materials which exist upon the earth be- 
neath, but that the spiritual atmosphere still continues to as- 
cend from the force of the affinity which it has for the more 
refined regions of space — this, therefore, constituting the 
basis of the Spirit-world, which extends above the common 
atmosphere about fifty miles, or about one hundred miles 
above the earth. In this locality is presented the home of the 
spirit when it is released from the tenement of clay. To 
this home it ascends by the power of that attraction which 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 201 

is formed from the affinity that exists between the soul itself, 
and the elements of which its dwelling-place is composed. 
This is the real Heaven of the spirit; this is the world of 
light, and joy and rest; this^ is the home of the weary, the 
refuge of the wandering, and the haven of the storm-tossed 
mariners of life. Above the clouds where the storms gather, 
above the darkness where the light is obscured, and above 
the corrupting streams of human passion, the spirit soars to 
the regions of unfading light and indisturbed harmony. 
The inhabitants of the earth may be assured that this 
Heaven of the spirit is the fulfilled prophesy of all the illu- 
minated minds, whose thoughts and perceptions have been 
turned to the brightness and beauty of the celestial abode. 
This is the sweetness of the air which the immortals 
breathe; it is the undimmed radiance of the divine essence; 
it is the living fragrance of eternal flowers which no storm 
or frost can wither. 

"It is now the desire of the spirits to present some of the 
external beauties of the heavenly mansion — to speak of 
some of the glories which gladden the hearts of angels. 
They are aware of the difficulties and obstacles which lie 
in their way; they fully comprehend the feebleness of the 
earthly mind which is not enlightened with the wisdom of 
Heaven, and they understand the want of a proper assimila- 
tion between the gross conceptions of the groveling multi- 
tude, and that purity which is the reflecting mirror of the 
Great Spirit. Still will they endeavor to delineate in the 
language of earth, the attractions of their glorious home. 
To commence the delineation, they would say that the beau- 
ties which are beheld in the external world, are simply repre- 



202 THE REALITY AND 

sentatives of the Teal reality — the shadows of the inward 
substance, which is alone divine and immortal. The human 
eye gazes upon the freshness and verdure of the spring-time, 
and rejoices in the beauty which covers the blooming fields, 
or gleams from the shining sky ; but the eye rests only on the 
forms which fade and change beneath the cold wind and 
the angry storm. Therefore these are not the appropriate 
objects which the spirit seeks — they are not the fixed and un- 
changing realities on which the soul can rest with unfailing 
confidence ; but are simply the representatives of some more 
interior being which bears a relation to the undying soul. 
This interior being — this reality, is found in the Second 
Sphere, which has been termed the Heaven of the spirit. 

"The objects which adorn the expanse of earth, contain 
an internal essence which, through the same principle by 
which the external atmosphere is evolved, rises to the height 
which has been referred to as the point at which the spir- 
itual emanations commences its separate ascension, and thus 
extends through the surrounding atmosphere till it is born 
into the spiritual world. This process represents the manner 
in which the objects of the heavenly abode are created, and 
the real, intrinsic nature which they possess. But the beauty 
which clothes and pervades every object that dwells upon 
the earth, is really unseen by the human eye, and the ema- 
nation which constantly flows from these, and which is born 
into the Second Sphere is likewise unperceived and unknown, 
excepting only by the disenthralled spirits which have arisen 
to their appropriate home. It should be known that the 
emanation which ascends from the various substances of 
the earth, does not maintain in its ascension the precise 






EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 203 

form which it preserved in connection with the object in 
which it previously existed; but it passes upward towards 
the Second Sphere as a lengthened atmosphere, whose in- 
ward beauty, brilliancy, and clearness no mortal can prop- 
erly conceive. In this emanation which constitutes the ex- 
ternal beauty of the heavenly abode, there exist the most 
beautiful and gorgeous hues, the most inexpressible radi- 
ance, and the most perfect transparency of which no sub- 
stance on the earth is an appropriate symbol. The spirits 
can gaze upon this as it ascends from the earth and watch 
its progress till it reaches and enters into the heavenly 
sphere. They see that, when it issues from the material 
object and mingles with the external atmosphere, it is com- 
paratively gross and unilluminated, but that as it advances 
upward and retreats from the unrefined materials with 
which it was connected, it becomes gradually purified, sub- 
limated, and refined, so that, when it becomes the resident of 
the celestial home, it is the perfect essence of all interior 
elements, and presents the transcendent beauty in which the 
angels rejoice. 

"It has been stated, and should be clearly understood, 
that the emanations to which reference is here made, does 
not, in its passage from the lower to the higher Sphere, pre- 
serve the precise form which it had while in connection with 
the material objects from which it ascends; but it presents 
simply an interior and lengthened atmosphere of such, ob- 
jects, whose form is in precise correspondence with the 
nature of the substance from which it flows, and the force of 
the impelling power by which it is evolved. When, there- 
fore, this emanation enters the spiritual world and becomes a 



204- THE REALITY AND 

part of the etherial beauty which is here displayed, it exists 
only as a beautiful and harmonious blending of the most 
clear, brilliant, and gorgeous hues, which, to some extent, 
resemble the colors of the rainbow, which is the refined 
emanation of the divided light. Therefore, is it true, that, 
while the Spirit-home is filled and pervaded with outward 
beauties which are perceived by the senses of the spirit, these 
beauties are not presented as mere external forms — as fixed 
and tangible substances, but they are revealed as the essence 
of all light and beauty — as the liquid sea in whose clear 
depths the purity of the indwelling germ of life is mirrored, 
and on whose bosom rests the reflected radiance of the over- 
shadowing heavens. There are forms, but they have no 
definite outlines — there are groves, and vales and streams, 
though these are not presented as the fixed and localized 
substances which dwell upon the earth, but rather as the 
mingling, blending, and harmonious emanation which is 
constantly flowing from these objects. Hence the spirits 
find no obstruction in any of the forms which exist in their 
illuminated abode; they are not enclosed by any external 
lines or boundaries, which might confine the movements of 
the material body, but they delight to bathe in the ocean 
of purity which surrounds them — to bask in the cheering 
light by which they are warmed and strengthened, and to 
gratify that absorbing desire which is sometimes felt by the 
refined soul on earth, to mingle with the very essence of the 
glory which fills the earth and heavens." (The Spiritual 
Teacher, pp. 52-62, inc.) 

Having presented the information given Mr. Ambler 
by "Spirits of the Sixth Circle," concerning Spiritland, its 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 205 

condition and location, we now present the information de- 
rived by Judge Edmonds and Dr. Dexter from disembodied 
spirits or minds upon this subject. They say : 

"Let it be understood, then, first, that this is a world 
occupied by spirits, or, rather, men, women, and children, 
mingling as their desires, tastes, inclinations or pleasures 
impel them, accomplishing and carrying out the great ob- 
jects of their formation, the development of the spirit itself 
to that exact state when and where it will manifest the prop- 
erties and attributes so corresponding to those of the Great 
First Cause, that they can live and exist eternally in direct 
communication and connection with all that possibly can be 
known or realized as God; and, second, that the different 
spheres are localities assigned to the progressed spirits, and 
they represent a state of elevation, and are reached only by 
a still more sublimated and refined materiality and advance 
of knowledge and goodness of the soul than belonged to the 
bodies or spirits occupying the sphere below. 

"Now, when I arrived at the sixth sphere, I found 
myself surrounded by spirits whom I had known on earth, 
and was immediately made a member of a community, com- 
posed, for the most part, of spirits of relatives or friends 
with whom I was connected in life. The newness of every- 
thing impressed me with delight. The air was pure, and 
the whole heavens were bright and clear beyond all com- 
parison. I saw no difference in the sky, except its brightness 
and purity; and on looking abroad on the earth, I could 
detect no difference in its appearance from our earch, except 
in the heavenly beauty and harmony in the arrangement of 
the landscape. The diversified character of the scenery, the 



206 THE REALITY AND 

mountains, not ragged and steep as on earth, but rounded 
with every regard to the harmony and beauty of all the other 
scenery. The trees, the rocks and mountains, the flowers 
and birds, the gushing torrents and the murmuring rivulets, 
the oceans and rivers, man, woman, and child, all passed 
before me, so far excelling everything I had conceived or 
imagined in the beauty of form, in the glorious demon- 
strations of their nature, in the palpable and evident exhibi- 
tion that they were beings who inhabited an earth near to 
the gates of heaven, that my spirit, lifted beyond itself, 
sprung forth in one spontaneous gush of love and praise, and 
I blessed God who had vouchsafed to me the privilege I 
then enjoyed. 

"We occupy earth — tangible, positive earth — as much as 
your earth ; but the advanced state of both spirit and locality 
renders it unnecessary for us to labor much to obtain food 
for the support of our bodies. Then, again, the earth 
brings forth spontaneously most of the food required for our 
bodies. And I would say, the advanced spirits do not require 
as much food as those who are below them. Their bodies, in 
every sphere to which they are elevated, lose a portion of 
their grossness, and as they are more refined, they become 
more like the spirit itself. We have trees — real trees and 
flowers, and mountains and rivers, and rocks, and every- 
thing material; but you, who have traveled into some un- 
settled and far-off land, can realize the great difference there 
is in your own land in the various manifestations of nature. 
You can behold mountains on mountains piled to heaven, 
and at their feet vast plains spread out, where not one blade 
of grass, not one green twig gives evidence that it is fit for 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 207 

the habitation of man. You can go farther, and behold the 
rugged and barren places which have been conquered by 
man's indomitable efforts. The dark forest which for ages 
covered the land, has fallen before the determined energy 
and labor of man; and the sombre recesses, fit habitations 
for the bear, the tiger, or some poisonous reptile, have been 
made to yield to man a tribute of labor, of effort, of mind. 
Thus, when comparing this condition of things, your mind 
can the more readily perceive what is the state of those 
world's fashioned for the residence of spirits, whose minds, 
filled with knowledge and incited only by the strong feelings 
of love and adoration to God, are placed there to live, to in- 
habit that earth, and to form just such connections and as- 
sociations as the same spirit did on earth." (Spiritualism, 
pp. 174, 175, 176.) 

Do spiritualists read spiritualistic literature? If so, how 
do they decide what is true and what false? Take, for 
example, the above quotations. Mr. Ambler's spirit con- 
trols or informants seemingly possess but one desire, and 
that is, to benefit, to elevate and to properly instruct man- 
kind. In all seriousness they tell us that the "Heaven of the 
spirits" is situated at a distance of "about fifty miles above 
the surface of the earth," and that it is formed by "spiritual 
emanations which flow off from this planet." Thus, while 
placing the abode of the disembodied spirits or minds 
within the material universe, they claim for it only a 
shadowy existence for "emanations" could hardly be con- 
sidered as substantial as shadows. This "ocean of purity" 
is all very well, is pleasing to the fancy, is poetical, is beau- 
tiful if true ; but if it is true, what can we say for the Judge's 



208 THE REALITY AND 

spirit informants. For a disembodied spirit or mind calling 
itself Swedenborg tells us that in the "bright regions where 
dwell the spirits made perfect * * * from that region 
come I," and he also comes with love and peace and a desire 
to elevate and benefit and truthfully instruct mankind. But 
oh, what a difference between the "Spirits of the Sixth Cir- 
cle's" shadowy heaven and Swedenborg's "tangible positive 
earth — as much as your earth." There is no similarity be- 
tween the two. One is the exact opposite of the other. 
Which is true ? Is there any particular reason for deciding 
that either is correct? 

A person seriously investigating spiritualism would, upon 
reaching the above contradictory teachings of departed and 
advanced spirits or minds, be compelled if he made a decision 
to accept one and reject the other. But if feeling that before 
taking such an important step it would be better to investi- 
gate further instead of lessening, his troubles would only be 
augmented for Mr. Davis, the "Poughkeepsie Seer," while 
in the "superior condition," describes a heaven unlike either 
Ambler's or Edmonds'. He says: 

" 'The Spirit Land V What do you mean by these 
terms? Something figurative, or something literal ? I mean 
a substantial world ; a sphere, similar in constitution to this 
world, only, in every conceivable respect, one degree superior 
to the best planet in our solar system. 

"The highest planet in our system is Saturn, being nearly 
eleven times larger than the earth ; its surface is equal to an 
hundred worlds, and surrounded by a magnificent girdle ; or 
rather it is set, like a jewel, in the midst of several conceh- 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 209 

trie circles, presenting the grandest spectacle possible to con- 
ceive. Being as substantial — but one degree superior in 
point of beauty and refinement — the Spirit-Land presents 
itself to our vision. We, therefore, mean a literal world, 
having latitudes, longitudes, poles, revolutions, atmosphere; 
with all the higher phenomena which pertain to the present 
world. 

"How was the Spirit-Land formed? This question 
may be answered by asking : 

"What law was it which, formed the sparkling girdles of 
Saturn? What becomes of the fine, invisible particles of 
matter which emanate from vegetation — from minerals., 
from all animal bodies — and from the entire globe? This 
earth, alone, gives off eight hundred millions of tons of in- 
visible emanations every year. Where do these atoms go? 
The earth perspires, like the human body. The fine par- 
ticles arise, like bubbles, to the surface. Where do they 
gravitate? Fluids may be reduced to solids, just as chaos 
precedes harmony. All the other planets — Mercury, Venus, 
the vast group of Asteroids, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, the three 
orbs beyond, together with all their moons — give off fine 
emanations just like the earth. Where do these emanations 
go? These questions are left with you, as replies to queries 
as to the formation of the Spirit-Land. Just think for one 
moment of the vast quantity of evaporation of refined par- 
ticles into space. If our earth eliminates eight hundred mil- 
lions of tons every year, what must the mass amount to 
when all the planets do the same work, not to say vastly 
more ? 

"Where is the Spirit-Land located f 



210 THE REALITY AND 

"Seest thou that beautiful zone of worlds, at night, 
called the 'Milky Way?' Seest thou how it encircles im- 
mensity, so to speak — a wreath of suns and planets 'round 
infinity?' And, besides, seest thou the countless stars and 
constellations of stars in every other direction? Thinkest 
thou that this visible panorama of stars, in the heavens, con- 
stitutes the universe? As well might one say, that four 
thousand dewdrops, sparkling in the sun, constitute the 
ocean ! 

"Again, it is asked : 'Seest thou that magnificent girdle, 
spanning the heavenly arch?' 

"Listen, therefore, to the answer! Yon 'milky way' is 
composed of myriads of suns and planets — each system 
resembling our sun with its planets — having specific posi- 
tions, orbits, revolutions, seasons, and inhabitants, just as 
we have on this globe. Our sun, our earth, and all the 
neighboring planets, constitutes but one group in the circle. 

"On these planets the human spirit First begins to be; 
in the state (I mean) from which it may date its existence 
as an immortal being! Hence, this circle of planets (taken 
altogether) may be termed — 'the first sphere of human ex- 
istence.' But, as has been shown, the spirit of man, at death, 
passes away to another world ; which is termed, very natur- 
ally, 'the second sphere.' 

"'But where is this sphere located?' Look again at 
those beautiful rings surrounding the planet Saturn. See 
how gently they embrace the planet, and each other! Yet 
the distance between them is fixed, and there are no per- 
turbations ! As the changing caterpillar is a symbol of death 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 211 

from which the beauteous butterfly, phoenix-like, arises into 
freedom; so the planet Saturn, with its rings, is a perfect 
symbol of the first and second spheres. 

"The second sphere girdles the first sphere, 'the milky 
way' — just as the rings girdle the planet Saturn. The rep- 
resentation is perfect. This universal analogy must be true. 
A foot rule will measure the universe, as well as twelve 
yards, and the doctrine of correspondence must be equally 
applicable to all spheres of being. * * * 

"What is the external appearance of the Spirit-Land? 

"It appears like a beautiful morning! The surface is di- 
versified endlessly, with valleys, rivers, hills, mountains, and 
innumerable parks. These parks are particularly attractive. 
The trees and shrubbery resemble nothing on earth; more 
the vegetation of Saturn. The ten thousand varieties of 
flowers lend a peculiar prismatic charm to the far-extending 
territories and the soft divine ether in which the entire world 
is bathed, surpasses all conception. You feel in the presence 
of Holiness — every tree speaks to your Heart — every flower 
pronounces a perpetual Benediction. 

"Canst thou form an idea of the magnitude of the 'Sec- 
ond Sphere?' 

"Multiply our earth by twenty-seven million times its 
present size, and it will give you the exact extent of one of 
the countless parks of the second sphere ! Did you ever think 
of 'Infinity?' Let imagination do its utmost! unchain your 
thoughts! Let them fly outwardly — into the far, far off! 
Let them stand upon the topmost zone of Immensity, and 
contemplate the vast spectacle of the universe ! 



212 THE REALITY AND 

"What do you see? Do you behold infinity? Nay, thou 
beholdest, merely, the surface of an apple compared with that 
which your imagination cannot grasp ! ' And this unper- 
ceived, this unsuspected immensity, is girdled by the second 
sphere ! It is a magnificent belt, all bespangled with count- 
less jewels, buckled around the waist of the Infinite Alan! 
This, and all the spheres besides, is the attire of God. 'Let 
expressive silence muse his praise !' ' (Present Age and 
Inner Life, pp. 273, 274, 275, 276, 277.) 

While both Ambler and Davis teach that the spirit-home 
is formed by emanations thrown off* from the earth and 
other bodies, they disagree as to the kind of Spirit-Land 
these emanations form. Ambler holding that "while the 
Spirit-home is filled and pervaded with outward beauties 
which are perceived by the senses of the spirit, these beauties 
are not presented as mere external forms — as fixed and 
tangible substances, but they are revealed as the essence of all 
light and beauty." Davis, on the contrary, affirms that these 
"invisible particles of matter, which emanate from vegetable 
— from minerals, from all animal bodies — and from the 
entire globe" crystalize and form a real, a substantial, a 
material Spirit-Land. 

And while Edmonds and Davis agree that the spirit- 
home is "earth — tangible, positive earth," the description 
given to each by his spirit-friend, is entirely different, thus 
leaving us still in doubt and uncertainty concerning what 
spirits themselves teach of Spirit-Land. 

But, however, much these authors disagree, Holcombe 
takes issue with them all and presents an entirely different 
Spirit-Land. In describing the intermediate state, he says : 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 213 

''The world of spirits is an intermediate state of exist- 
ence with its corresponding objective phenomena, into which 
all men are ushered immediately after death, by the process 
of the resurrection, which is only the withdrawal of the 
spiritual body from the natural. The state is intermediate 
between heaven and hell. Men are called spirits while liv- 
ing in that world; angels, ii they pass into heaven; devils, 
if they direct their steps to hell. Heaven, hell and the world 
of spirits constitute together the spiritual world. 

"This is the sheol of the Old Testament, the hades of 
the New, erroneously translated in our English Bibles, hell 
and the grave; and known by tradition as 'the place of de- 
parted spirits.' 

"It is strange that Protestant Christianity has lost the 
knowledge of this intermediate state, and that its acute 
thinkers and biblical students have not re-discovered and 
proclaimed it. 

"The idea of an intermediate state in which souls are 
kept for judgment, previous to ^entering heaven or hell, is to 
be found in the most ancient mythologies and philosophies. 

"It was a current doctrine with the Jews. Josephus ex- 
pressly defines the word sheol, which our translators render 
hell, as 'that place wherein the souls of the righteous and of 
the unrighteous are detained/ 

"It was universally accepted as an article of rational 
faith in the Christian church until the time of the Protestant 
reformation. 

"Dr. Jung Stilling, in his 'Theory of Pneumatology,' 
affirms: 'The Universal Christian world from the very 



214 THE REALITY AND 

commencement, believed in an invisible world of spirits, 
which was divided into three different regions, heaven, or 
the place of the blessed; hell, or the place of torment; and 
then a third place, which the Bible calls hades, or the re- 
ceptacle for the dead, in which those souls which are not 
ripe for either destination, are fully prepared for that to 
which they have adapted themselves in this life.' 

"The only theory which can account for the manner in 
which the scriptural doctrine of an* intermediate state has 
been ignored by Protenant theology, is, that it was done to 
counteract as much as possible the Roman Catholic doctrine 
of purgatory. The perversions of truth on this subject, 
calculated to extend the spiritual dominion of the Catholic 
clergy and to augment the revenues of the ohurch, were so 
revolting to reason and so dangerous to society, that the 
reactionary spirit carried the Reformers to the extreme of 
dropping from their creed an article of faith, which was 
necessary to a proper understanding of what the Scriptures 
teach about the spiritual world. 

If there is no intermediate state or life, the soul must go 
consciously into heaven or hell after death, which is a prac- 
tical judgment upon it, rendering useless the formal judg- 
ment which is expected at the last day. Or it must remain 
for ages in a state of unconsciousness or insensibility, which 
is an idea utterly unscriptural. 

" 'This day,' said our Lord to \he penitent thief, 'thou 
shalt be with me in paradise.' * * * 

"Heaven and hell are extremes; they are antepodal, an- 
tagonistic states of the spirit. All in heaven are good, all in 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 215 

hell are evil. They have attained their final states by the 
separation of the good from the evil, of the true from the 
false, so that there is an impassable gulf fixed between them. 
The introduction of anything good into hell, or of anything 
evil into heaven would produce confusion of mind, disorder, 
and pain in either sphere. 

"Millions of human beings die every week and pass into 
the spiritual world. They are generally in states of mixed 
good and evil. There are few men so regenerate that the 
searching light of heaven will not discover some dark cor- 
ners in their minds and some evil spot in their hearts; few 
so reprobate, but they have some invisible chord in the spirit 
which can be attuned to heavenly music. The vast major- 
ity of men are mixtures of good and evil blended in appar- 
ently inextricable confusion. 

"Now man wakes from his death-sleep into the spiritual 
world the same as he was when he lay down to die. The 
mere act of death produces no change in the affections, 
thoughts, opinions, aspirations, appetites or habits. No re- 
ligious exercises, no prayers or faith can instantaneously 
change evil into good. There is no sudden transformation 
of a sinner into a Christian or of a Christian into an angel. 
Such an idea is a theological fiction without basis in reason 
or Scripture; and he who trusts to it will be fearfully de- 
ceived. 

"When a man rises from the dead — that is, when his 
spiritual body is extricated from his physical form, the laws 
of the spiritual world instantaneously operate upon him. 
He comes into the exercise of spiritual thought. He speaks 



216 THE REALITY AND 

spontaneously the rich and wonderful language of spirits. 
The objects around him have no externity independent of 
him, but they are the interior things of his own spirit pre- 
sented in visible forms as a world outside of him. 

"This newly-risen spirit cannot instantly enter heaven. 
Why ? Because his spiritual states of affection and thought 
do not accord with those of the angels. He could neither 
see what they saw nor hear what they heard. If it were 
possible for him; without the necessary changes of state or 
the intervention of intermediate spirits, to be placed sud- 
denly and bodily in the midst of a heavenly society, what 
would result ? He would be a discord in their assembly, a 
blot in their sky, a source of pain and terror. They would 
tremble at the sphere of his evil thoughts and desires. His 
life would project itself outwardly around them in terrible 
or disgusting forms, black clouds in the sky, dark caverns in 
the earth, lurid fires in the distance, serpents or toads or ob- 
scure birds. Heaven would be rent as with an earthquake. 
Such a thing is therefore organically impossible. 

"Neither can the new-comer from earth go at once into 
hell. He bears with him some traces of goodness and truth^ 
some touch of kindness, some remnant of humanity, which 
would produce similar disorder in the infernal sphere. It 
would be like the approach of an angel to the hells, when 
darkness comes over them, and terror seizes them and fright- 
ful pains lay hold of them. 

"The new-comer himself would be more dreadfully tor- 
tured by the experiment than either the angels or the devils. 
The sphere of heaven would be intolerable to the evil ele- 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 217 

merits, and the sphere of hell equally so to the good elements 
in his nature. Between the two conflicting elements he 
would be torn asunder with sufferings far more severe than 
he would experience in the hell suited to his evils when they 
have been isolated from alb his better life. 

It is plain that the law of spiritual relation — namely, that 
the objective world springs up in correspondence with the 
subjective states of the spirit, demands and effects the total 
separation of good and evil spheres, so that heaven and hell 
stand eternally apart. This separation is gradually effected 
in the world of spirits. It is called in Scripture the judg- 
ment. 

"The world of spirits is therefore created just as heaven 
and hell are created. It is to outward appearances a vast 
world; not fixed in time and space like our material orbs, but 
plastic and changeable to the outflowing thoughts and affec- 
tions of its inhabitants. It appears differently to different 
classes or societies of spirits, and external objects come and 
go, appear and disappear, are created or annihilated in corre- 
spondence with the spiritual panorama which is passing in 
the interiors of the souls of those who live there. 

"The form which the world of spirits assumes to men 
recently deceased is very much like that of the world they 
have left. The reason is that they are still in possession of 
their exterior memory, thoughts, affections and life; for man 
has an external and an internal life which are frequently 
very different. Newly-arrived spirits think from their 
memories of time and space, reason from the sensuous ap- 
pearances which dominated their intellects in this life, and 
act from external motives as they did here. 



218 THE REALITY AND 

"The consequence is that they at first build up around 
themselves, by the law of spiritual creation, things similar to 
those they had known and loved in the earth-life. They 
collect together in nationalities, are divided according to 
their religious opinions, and has civil cliques and social 
coteries just as we do here. The external world around 
them is somewhat similar to that they have left behind. 
The English have some spiritual counterpart of their Lon- 
don, the French of their Paris, the Italians of their Rome. 
They are concerned about what they shall do and how they 
shall live. They manifest the spirit of trade, the lust of of- 
fice, the zeal for science, and have the same loves and appe- 
tites and opinions there as they had here. It is difficult for 
the new-comers into that extraordinary world to believe that 
they are dead to the world of nature and living in a world of 
spirits. 

"All this, however, is transitory. The population is 
ever shifting. Millions appear every week on this new field 
of action, where good and evil spirits are contending for the 
supremacy over man, but as many disappear as come. They 
do not die. What has become of them ? No one sees them 
go away; no one can follow them; but millions weekly (to 
speak in a temporal manner) disappear from the sight and 
thought of those who remain behind. Where are they? 

"They have gone away into heaven or hell. A great 
change has come over them. Their exterior spiritual life 
has been taken away from them or made quiescent. Their 
interior natures have come out to view. They no longer 
have two faces. They no longer think one thing and say 
another. All external bonds and restraints are removed.. 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 219 

forgotten, despised. There is no fear of the law, or public 
opinion, no influence of fashion, no conventionalisms, no re- 
spect for wealth or position, no sacrifices to decorum, no con- 
cealment from interested motives. The man or the woman 
stands out in utter spiritual nakedness, every thought, every 
feeling exposed to view, everything which had been whis- 
pered in the ear in closets proclaimed on the house-tops ! 

"With this change from the exterior to the interior of the 
spiritual life, a corresponding change occurs in their exter- 
nal surroundings. The shadowy London and Paris of the 
external man disappear; nationalities are lost forever; 
churches are gone ; outward organizations are nothing ; con- 
ventionalisms perish; their own names and history are for- 
gotten as shadows not worth a thought. Their qualities 
alone survive. From them they love, think, feel, see,, live. 

"When the exterior mind is thus closed in a good spirit, 
he is led by angels into places of instruction. He is then di- 
vested of all his errors of opinions and taught the truths of 
heaven, which he receives with inexpressible delight. Soon 
he discovers some way or road invisible to others, some way 
overarched with flowers and fragrant with odors and 
flagged with precious stones and brilliant with a great light, 
a way that leads him upward and onward into the heavenly 
society for which he is now prepared and where he will live 
forever. 

"The interiority evil spirit, however, does not go to any 
place of instruction. In his conceit of superior wisdom he 
refuses it; in his aversion to spiritual truth he abhors it. 
The exteriors of the world of spirits disappears also from 



220 THE REALITY AND 

his vision, and he seeks those whose interior life and loves 
are similar to his..x>wn. He also discovers a road or way in- 
visible to others, but it is a dark cleft between frowning 
rocks, a downward path, pervaded by horrible stenches and 
overhung by lurid vapors, and he treads it eagerly with the 
delight of an obscene bird flying to a dark wood where the 
carcass of some w T ild beast is lying. He finds himself at 
last in some one of the hells which are opposite to the soci- 
eties of heaven. 

"What is the cause of these remarkable phenomena? 

"The judgment : 'It is appointed unto all men to die, and 
after this the judgment.' 

"Yes, these spirits have been judged. The books have 
been opened, and they have been judged out of them and 
'according to their works.' The sheep have been separated 
from the goats. Those who had oil in their lamps have 
gone into the marriage-feast, and against those who had 
none the door has been shut. Those who had used their 
talents wisely have had their spiritual riches indefinitely in- 
creased ; those who ihad buried their gift in the earth, have 
been stripped of all and cast into outer darkness. 

"There are two judgments : a special or individual judg- 
ment for each soul and a general judgment which takes place 
at the end of every Church, or at the close of every Dispen- 
sation. These processes occur always in the world of spir- 
its ; not in heaven, nor in hell, nor upon the earth. The 
great work and use of the intermediate state is the judg- 
ment. 

"What is the judgment? 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 221 

"Our ideas on this matter, drawn from civil associations, 
are wholly erroneous. Our 'mind's' eye sees a tribunal, a 
judge empowered to pass sentence, an array of witnesses, ev- 
idence given and* substantiated, the scales of justice pro- 
duced, the balance struck, the sentence pronounced accord- 
ing to law, and finally executed. 

"Nothing of this happens in the judgment of the spiritual 
world. Judgment is the preparation of the soul for heaven 
or for hell, by the separation of the good from the evil and 
the true from the false in all the constituent elements of the 
life and character. It is an unfolding of the ruling love, a 
revelation of the inmost life and abiding qualities of the 
spirit. From the good, all the evil and false things derived 
from their earth-life, adherent but not inherent, are taken 
away, so that they become thoroughly good and fit for 
heaven. From the evil, all the apparent goodness and truth 
they possess, adherent also but not inherent, are taken away, 
and they become thoroughly evil and can live nowhere but 
in hell. * * * 

"The world of spirits is very populous ; far more so than 
our earth, over which it hangs like a vast spiritual cloud hid- 
ing the light of heaven, not only from our natural but also 
from our spiritual eyes. Not only are the dead of a whole 
generation there, but angels from heaven and evil spirits 
from hell in great numbers. Our own attendant spirits, 
good and evil, are there ; our guardian spirits who befriend 
and guide us, and our evil spirits who assault and tempt and 
accuse us night and day. This vast multitude which no 
man can number, is under the government of angejs, who 
are engaged in organizing and reorganizing the various 



222 THE REALITY AND 

elements into different societies, so as to detect the organic 
spiritual affinities of each individual and to give full play to 
the ruling love which finally determines his abode. 

" 'In the beginning God created the heavens and the 
earth.' He did not create hell nor the world of spirits. 
They sprang into being as necessities, caused by the volun- 
tary perversion of divine order by man. If the earth was 
perfect and all men lived and thought like angels, the heav- 
ens could rest upon the earth, like the upper stories of a 
house upon its foundations, and at death no intermediate 
state would be necessary, but men could pass instantaneously 
to their proper places in heaven." * * * (The Other 
Life, pp. 233-247 inc.). 

We disagree with Mr. Holcombe's statement that God 
"did not create * * the world of spirits," we hold that it did 
not spring into being as a necessity, "caused by the voluntary 
perversion of divine order by man," but recognizing as we 
do the mortality of the mind, the world of spirits is just as 
necessary as our physical universe and forms a part of God's 
creation. 

That there is an intermediate state where spirits or minds 
go after death is clearly taught in the Scriptures. And that 
it was to this place that Jesus referred when He said to the 
dying thief on the cross : "To-day shalt thou be with me in 
Paradise" and not to Heaven the home of God and the im- 
mortals, is clearly illustrated by the language of our Savior, 
who after His resurrection said : "Touch me not ; for I am 
not yet ascended to my Father ; but go to my brethren, and 
say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father; 
and to my God, and your God." (St. John, xx., 17.) 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 223 

Our Savior's promise to the dying thief shows that 
there is a distinction, a separation between the repentant and 
the unrepentant sinner. And while He prayed, "Father, 
into thy hands I commend my spirit," His promise to the re- 
pentant thief showed He had no doubts as to which part of 
spirit-land He would enter. And that "to be with me in 
Paradise" meant that instead of going where evil spirits or 
minds go that this thief would be with Him, with the good, 
with the repentant in "the Paradise" of departed spirits. 

The Bible not only teaches that there is an intermediate 
state and that Jesus went there after His crucifixion, but it 
tells us what He did while there that "He went and preached 
unto the spirits in prison." (1 Peter iii., 19.) Many re- 
gard the term prison in the above text as synonymous with 
the term hell, and upon that base their teaching that Jesus 
descended into hell ; but the text will bear no such reading. 
Prison as here used simply means a place of detention where 
spirits await the end of time, and this applies to the abode of 
the good spirits as well as to that of the evil. 

Continuing, the narrative clearly .shows that Jesus 
"preached" not only to postdiluvian but to the antediluvian 
spirits, "Which sometimes were disobedient when once the 
long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the 
ark was a preparing." (1 Peter iii., 20.) This text sim- 
ply shows that these spirits at some period of their earthly 
lives were disobedient ; but that they repented, before dying, 
is shown by the fact that they found their abode in Paradise, 
the part of the Spirit-land where Jesus went after His 
death. But that these spirits were not in the final abode of 



224 THE REALITY AND 

the soul is shown by the fact that Jesus left them and "as- 
cended" unto His "Father" in Heaven. 

Then since Paradise is not Heaven, but is merely that 
part of spirit-land in which the good abide and to which 
Jesus led the repentant thief, it becomes plain that hades 
(hell) is not, as we have been taught, a place of eternal pun- 
ishment, but is simply that part of spirit-land in which the 
wicked abide. This being true, it follows that neither Para- 
dise nor hades (hell) will survive the end of time. 

Further evidence that in spirit-land there are separate 
places of abode for the good and evil is shown by the prayer 
of the martyred Stephen : "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 
When we accept the plain teaching of the Bible as to the 
identity of spirit and mind, and the distinction between spirit 
and soul, we can see from Stephen's prayer that what most 
concerned him in his dying moments, was not the welfare of 
his soul in eternity, but the abode of his spirit or mind in the 
intermediate state, for he was fully aware that only the spir- 
its of the redeemed could enter Paradise. 

We accept Mr. Holcomb's explanation as to how the 
Protestants lost the knowledge of this intermediate state. 
And while the Catholic priest-hood teach the existence of: 
such a place, they have so distorted and misrepresented the 
facts as to render the knowledge of it worse than useless. 
To the Catholic the entire intermediate state is a hell differ- 
ing only from the orthodox hell in that it is not eternal. 

We cannot accept Mr. Holcomb's idea that the inter- 
mediate state is a place where spirits or minds are "prepared" 
for heaven or for hell; the earth is the preparatory place. 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 225 

Neither can we agree with him in his ideas of the judgment. 
He tells us that in Spirit-land the evil is finally eliminated 
from the spirit in which the good largely predominates and 
that this spirit goes to heaven and thus disappears from 
Spirit-land. And that the good is finally eliminated from 
the spirit in which the evil largely predominates and the 
spirit goes to hell and thus disappears from Spirit-land. 
This would not be a judgment, but something more nearly 
resembling a transformation. As we die, so will we continue 
to be. There is no progression, no retrogression in Spirit- 
land for "the place where the tree falleth, there it shall 
be." (Bcc. xi., 3.) If, as Mr. Holcomb tells us, that when 
spirits pass either into heaven or hell, they first lose all 
knowledge of the earth and their associations here, that even 
"their own names and history are forgotten as shadows not 
worth a thought," this to us would be equivalent to annihi- 
lation and we do not accept such a heaven. 

The place of departed spirits is almost an Infinite world, 
beginning in the air about us and extending out, out, into 
boundless space until it almost touches the border of Infinity. 
Composed of organizations political and religious, of all 
grades of society, of all cliques and clans that the world has 
known since time began; and will so continue until He 
maketh all things new. And then the mind or spirit which 
envelops the soul or forms its body, being mortal, will 
perish with all that is material, and the soul alone will stand 
forth before its God in utter nakedness to be adjudged and 
to receive its reward or punishment. To keep and to hold 
eternal life, eternal happiness or to die, for we hold that the 
Bible speaks a literal truth when it says : "The soul that 



226 THE REALITY AND 

sinneth, it shall die." {Bzek. xviii., 4.) What else could 
the warning given Adam, mean : "For in the day that thou 
eatest thereof thou shalt surely die," could not mean physical 
and mental or spiritual death, for not being divine, they were 
preordained to 'die. It means soul death — ETERNAL death. 
Had Adam retained his original purity, then would his im- 
mortality have been assured, for it was by sin alone that we 
lost eternal life. 

"Wherefore, as by one man, sin entered into the world 
and death by sin ; and so death passed upon all men, for that 
all have sinned: * * * For if, through the offense of 
one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the 
gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath 
abounded unto many. 

"For if, by one man's offence death reigned by one ; much 
more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift 
of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. 

"For as by one man's disobedience, many were made 
sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made 
righteous." {Romans v., 12, 15, 17, 19.) 

We are thus taught that as one man by disobedience 
brought death — eternal death upon his soul, and that death 
reigned over all because of their disobedience; so one by 
His righteousness restores eternal life to all who accept him. 
And that just as eternal life is the reward of the righteous 
soul, so is eternal death the reward of the wicked soul, as 
shown by the following text: "For the wages of sin is 
death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus 
Christ our L,ord." {Romans vi., 36.) Further evidence of 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 227 

the soul's liability to eternal death and the necessity for its 
redemption is clearly stated as follows : "Let him know, 
that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way, 
shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of 
sins." {James v., 20.) That the inspired writers realized 
and taught that the soul is liable to death, is shown by the 
following : 

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, 
and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and 
shall not come unto condemnation; but is passed from 
death unto life." (St. John v., 24.) Evidence of the antiquity 
of this belief in eternal death is expressed in the language of 
Solomon: "Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but 
righteousness delivereth from death." (Prov. xx., 2.) 

"Riches profit not in the day of wrath : but righteous- 
ness delivereth from death." (Prov. xi., 4.) 

In that remote period when God communicated with the 
Israelites through His prophets, and the people were thor- 
oughly informed upon this subject, they were aware of the 
fact that the soul could die, as shown by the language of 
David: "For thou hast delivered my soul from death; 
wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk 
before God in the light of the living." (Psl. lvi., 13.) 

Inasmuch as eternal death reigns in the world, every 
soul walks in the shadow of death; this is beautifully ex- 
pressed by David, who says : "Yea, though I walk through 
the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for 
thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." 
(Psl. xxiii., 4; see, also, Isa, ix., 2; l/Lat. iv., 16; Luke, i., 
79, etc.) 



228 THE REALITY AND 

Accepting the teachings of the Bible as to the reality of 
the eternal death of the soul as well as its eternal life, we are 
thus enabeled to obtain a clearer and a truer meaning of the 
old familiar text : "For this corruption must put on incor- 
ruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." (1 
Cor. xv., 53.) 

• The conclusion to which we have arrived upon the im- 
portant question of the soul's conditional immortality; that 
it will merit either eternal life or eternal death, may seem 
new and even revolutionary, because not supported by any 
religious sect. But we have learned to think independent of 
creed and anyone who thinks to any purpose, must do the 
same. They must be willing to investigate the whole truth 
and allow the facts to speak for themselves. It is because 
Catholicism, Protestantism and Spiritualism have each been 
content with a part of the truth and unable to renounce their 
isms and accept the whole truth that they nave never under- 
stood these questions, and in the very nature of things never 
would. Because, while Catholicism recognizes the existence 
of an intermediate state they have degraded it to a mere 
matter of commerce from which the priesthood derives a 
large revenue. 

A Catholic friend invited us to attend the funeral of 
their mother ; which we did. But we can never forget a re- 
mark made by the officiating priest during the course of 
his sermon over the dead body ; in speaking of the virtues of 
the dead, he said : "She has been a devoted wife and mother, 
has always done her duty and lived an exemplary Christian 
life, and is now burning in the flames of purgatory." To 
a Protesant or a Spiritualist, that would have been horrible, 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 229 

revolting, but we detected no unusual emotion in any of the 
family. The church had taught them from childhood that 
pernicious doctrine and they accepted it without question, 
and believed that a devoted wife and mother or husband 
and father would suffer in purgatory until paid and 
prayed out, as a part of their religious training. 

The Protestant, on the other hand, does away with a 
general judgment and at death send all direct to either 
heaven or hell, and deny the existence of an intermediate 
state, while nothing is more clearly taught in the Bible. 

The Spiritualists would never be able to properly under- 
stand the soul and its relations to God, because, while differ- 
ing from both Catholics and Protestants, they make the in- 
termediate state their all in all, some going so far as to derty 
a personal God, thus doing away with a final judgment. 

And all, Catholics, Protestants and Spiritualists alike 
make no distinction between Mind, Spirit and Soul, but re- 
gard them as synonymous terms. But until they properly 
understand these terms and recognize the fact that spirit 
and mind are identical and as mortal as the body it survives, 
will they ever understand the soul and* its relations to God. 

We accept the Biblical account of the final judgment as 
recorded in Revelation. 

"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on 
it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and 
there was found no place for them. 

"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God ; 
and the books were opened : and another book was opened, 
which is the book of life : and the dead were judged out of 



230 THE REALITY AND 

those things which were written in the books, according to 
their works. 

"And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and 
death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: 
and they were judged, every man according to their works. 

"And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This 
is the second death. 

"And whosoever was not found written in the book of 
life, was cast into the lake of fire." (Chap, xx., 11, 12, 13, 
14, 15.) 

Having shown that the inherent immortality of the soul 
is an error, and that the doctrine of eternal punishment is 
an error, this naturally does away with a place where eternal 
punishment is inflicted upon the wicked. The "lake of 
fire" above referred to, is supposed to be identical with hell, 
the place of eternal punishment, but this is an error. This 
"lake of fire" is the result of the general conflagration de- 
scribed in Revelation, in which all organization, celestial 
and terrestrial, will be destroyed. It should be noted that this 
universal destruction followed the angels' declaration of the 
end of time and consequently occurred in eternity proper. 
Revelation teaches that there will be a judgment, a literal 
judgment, in which all mankind will appear before "the 
great white throne," and be judged "according to their 
works." That all things material will perish, that Spirit-land 
with its paradise and its hell and even Death itself will be 
destroyed, together the souls of the wicked; and nothing 
survive save God himself, and those whose names are "writ- 
ten in the book of life." 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 231 

A soul stripped of all materiality and for the first time 
fully conscious of the immortality for which it was created 
and to see the infinite happiness it had lost and to> know that 
within the hour it would die, is a punishment, we think, suffi- 
cient to satisfy even the justice of an outraged God. 

The gravest punishment known to man for crime, is 
death; the gravest punishment known to God for sin is 
eternal death. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Contradictions. 

The advocates of Spiritualism affirm that they can come 
en rapport with the higher intelligences of the spirit world 
and thus obtain their information from the Fountain-head of 
all knowledge; this being true, the doctrines they promul- 
gate, should be absolutely a unit among their writers, lec- 
turers and teachers. Claiming to be instructed by intelli- 
gences, who derive their knowledge from "Absolute Truth," 
there can be no shadow of an excuse for misunderstandings 
or disagreements concerning their teachings. Among spir- 
itualists, if no place else on earth, we should find absolute 
harmony on all points and in all things. But strange to say, 
no such harmony exists ; on the contrary, the utmost discord 
prevails, as is shown by the contradictory views entertained 
and expressed by the leading authorities on the subject of 
Spiritualism. And as might be expected, they also contra- 
dict the teachings of the Bible. Among the writers o>f mod- 
ern spiritualism, no one has more systematically attacked 
the Scriptures than Moses Hull. Attack, perhaps, is not 
the proper word, as it is not so much an attack on the Bible 
as an attempt to twist and distort the meaning of the Scrip- 
tures and make them stand in the same relation to the an- 
cients as modern spiritualism does to us; to degrade the 
utterances of the inspired writers and prophets of old to the 

232 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 233 

level of the teachings of the mediums of our day. In proof 
of which we offer the following: 

"If there is any history in the Book of Genesis, it begins 
in chapter twelve, with the call of Abraham. The first eleven 
chapters are, perhaps, Babylonish records of the somewhat 
contradictory tradition of the supposed beginning of things ; 
the flood, and the supposed origin of the various nationali- 
ties. But as even these traditions are based on the constantly 
recurring phenomena among the people, they are valuable 
as showing how far back these phenomena can be traced." 
(Encyclopedia of Biblical Spiritualism, p. 33.) 

As Moses Hull denies all else contained in the first eleven 
chapters of the Book of Genesis, it would be difficult to im- 
agine upon what authority he accepts the phenomena. In 
further discussing Genesis, he says : 

"In all my discourses on this subject during the last third 
of a century, I have asserted and tried to prove that this 
book had at least two authors. In the first place, there are 
two sets of gods running through the book. * * * Re- 
ligionists have tried for a thousand years to harmonize the 
first and second chapters of Genesis, as well as some other 
things in the book, and have failed." (Our Bible, pp. 100, 
101.) 

If Moses Hull were the student of the Bible he would 
have us believe, and not a mere reader of the sacred writ- 
ings, with some thought devoted to the first and second 
chapters of Genesis, he should have seen that there are no 
discrepancies for "Religionists," himself, or anyone to har- 
monize. But that the first chapter of Genesis "acquaints 



234 THE REALITY AND 

us with the leading events of the creation in the order of 
their occurrence." While the second chapter enters into a 
more detailed account of the events recorded in the first 
chapter; and without the second chapter of Genesis, we 
would have no means of ascertaining (1), that the elements 
of plant and animal life are a part of the original creation 
matter; (2), we would have no means of ascertaining that 
God formed man's physical organism "of the dust of the 
ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; 
and man became a living soul;" (3), we would have no 
means of ascertaining that a very considerable period inter- 
vened between the creation of man and that of woman, nor 
how woman was made; (4), we would have no> means of as- 
certaining that unlike* the animals God prepared for man a 
fixed place of abode and assigned him to a definite task ; ( 5 ) , 
we would have no means of ascertaining that God planted the 
Garden of Eden for man's reception, and commanded him 
"to dress it and to keep it ;" (6) , we would have no means of 
ascertaining the origin of domestic plants, which require 
soil tillage, and which made their first appearance in the 
Garden of Eden as "God's special gift to man;" (7), that 
irrigation which was universally practiced by the ancients, 
was first employed in the Garden of Eden.* 

The Bible is not contradictory in its statements. The 
trouble is that for ages men attempted to make the Bible 
conform to and support Atheism; and by so doing, they 
utterly failed to make any sense out of the Scriptures ; and 
in their egotism decided that God's narrative of creation was 
wrong; and that man's theory of development was right. 

*"The Tempter of Eve." 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 235 

Blinded by their ignorance it never occurred to them to in- 
vestigate and see whether the sciences harmonized with the 
teachings of the Bible or with those of the theory of develop- 
ment. But recent investigators, after carefully comparing 
the School of Divine Creation and the School of Develop- 
ment with the facts revealed by modern scientific investiga- 
tion find that the Bible is* sustained at every point ; and the 
conflict is not, as we have been taught to believe, between 
the Bible and the sciences, but between the sciences and the 
Theory of Development. And, however much the Atheist 
and the infidel may disregard these important facts, the 
earnest inquirer after truth will carefully consider them. 

Through the mediumship of Judge Edmonds and Dr. 
G. T. Dexter, two spirits, claiming to be Bacon and Sweden- 
borg, deliver a series of lectures. In discussing the plan of 
creation, the spirit calling himself Swedenborg, says : 

"That there was a first man specially and particularly 
created to occupy the Garden of Eden, is opposed to all my 
belief of what the character of God is and ever has been. 
And here let it be understood, I do not teach anything op- 
posed to the action of God in all his dealings with man. No ! 
To confine God to the formation of one man, ready made to 
his hand, cannot exemplify the power of the Creator, for if 
that Creator had established laws for the working of this 
globe, he must have adhered to their principles as he him- 
self could not have been their first violator. Now do you 
suppose there is any difference in the birth and growth of 
animals and of man? And is there any account of the cre- 
ation of any animal as man was created? Now this man 
was created as were all created, from the same causes, and 



236 THE REALITY AND 

their action has not been changed or altered since the world 
was fashioned." (Spiritualism, pp. 126, 127.) 

This is in direct opposition to the Bible, which plainly 
teaches that there was a first man created and placed in the 
Garden of Eden. And at the same time it shows that while 
Swedenborg has been for eighty-one* years a denizen of the 
spirit- world, and has had every possible opportunity for en- 
joying all the advantages offered by personally communicat- 
ing with the "higher intelligences," and thus positively in- 
forming himself concerning the truth of Divine Creation, 
that he still knows absoluely nothing about it. And the best 
he has to offer is that a " specially" created man is "opposed" 
to all his "belief in what the character of God is, and ever has 
been." But "belief" is not knowledge, and Swedenborg's 
"belief" is entitled to no more consideration than the belief or 
opinion of anyone in this world, who does not claim or pre- 
tend to such exceptional opportunities for acquiring in- 
formation on all subjects. As previously stated, there are only 
two schools oif learning in the world that propose to account 
for the origin of all things : The School of Divine Creation 
and the School of Development. One would naturally sup- 
pose that in opposing the School of Divine Creation that 
Swedenborg would be compelled to accept the Theory of De- 
velopment, but such it seems is not the case; for while the 
School of Divine Creation is "opposed" to his "belief," at 
the same time he is not sure concerning the Theory of De- 
velopment. In proof of which we offer the following : 

"Mr. Warren inquired if man was the product of the 
gradual progress and development of the creation below 

*Swedenborg died in 1772. Spiritualism- published in 1853. 






EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 237 

him, as is maintained in the work called 'Vestiges of Cre- 
ation ?' 

"It was answered : 

"I can't tell. It is so far back, our oldest inhabitants 
here would probably not remember ; but I can make some in- 
quiries, if you wish, and let you know some time during 
these lectures." (Ibid., p. 129. ) 

It is evident that Swedenborg knows no more on these 
important subjects since he "passed-over" than he did before, 
and seems to have no means of finding out. We have read 
the lectures referred to several times and have, so far failed 
to find where he gave the promised information. We can 
only explain his failure to keep his promise and answer the 
questions on the ground of his inability to obtain "in the 
bright regions where dwell the spirits made perfect," the 
desired information. The question in our mind, which now 
clamors for answer, is this, has Mr. Swedenborg "pro- 
gressed," and, if so, how far, and in what way? 

Yet, Bacon, a friend and co-laborer of Swedenborg, 
claims full knowledge as to the origin of man, and answers 
with ease the question that so embarrassed Swedenborg as 
shown by the following: 

"The whole history of man must convince you in spite 
of all oppression, despite all combinations, and against all 
tyranny too, religious, civil, or political, he has manifested 
the true object of his existence, the sublimation of his ma- 
terial nature or Progression. 

"Now, I pretend to say that in every department of na- 
ture this statement can be corroborated ; that even from the 



238 THE REALITY AND 

earliest period, when erst the incongruous masses of matter 
were fashioned into shape by the omniscience and omnipo- 
tence of the First Cause — even from this period has, step by 
step, the whole creation developed itself as from a simple 
germ." (Ibid., p. 152.) 

Now the only difference between Bacon's account of the 
origin of man and that contained in Chamber's Vestiges of 
Creation, is that Chambers goes one step farther back than 
Bacon, and allows God to create a law which developed a 
germ, which progressed and developed on up through all 
the lower animals and finally produced man. This is what 
Bacon teaches and what Chambers teaches; and why the 
"oldest inhabitant here would probably not remember" so 
fundamental a doctrine as the origin of things, or why Swe- 
denborg did not know and could not find out beyond all 
question of doubt the true origin of things, is one of many 
unexplainable contradictions which is constantly cropping 
out in spiritualistic literature. 

In replying to the question whether there were spirits 
advanced so far that they were as invisible to them as the 
spirits were to the questioner, the spirit called Bacon, said : 

"There is no state of existence, Judge, but has its better 
spirits above it. There is no mind so advanced and enlight- 
ened but there is a mind more developed, more progressed, 
to which the other will look, with deference and respect." 
(Ibid., p. 179.) 

Yet, in absolute contradiction to the above, the same 
spirit states that there is a place where development ceases 
or a "last process of refinement." In proof of which please 
note the following : 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 239 

"What are considered by you as angels, are but the 
beautiful spirits of men, in whom the progress of their na- 
ture has developed all that there is of beauty and perfection 
of form. 

"They are, as I am led to believe, the spirits of men 
whose organization has passed the seventh and last process 
of refinement, and are constantly in intercourse with all that 
can be known of God." (Ibid., p. 200.) 

Davis in discussing Biblical revelations, says : 

"The orthodox doctrine, that the portals of heaven were 
forever closed at the moment when the last sentence of the 
Apocalypse was written, is put to an endless sleep by the 
unfolding Light of the nineteenth century. The doctrine 
proclaimed every succeeding Sabbath, that all necessary 
Revelation is behind us, that we must repose, like unrea- 
sonable but confiding babes upon the bosom of patriarchal 
and biblical authority, is overthrown for evermore by the 
thousands of equally good revelations daily made to us." 
(Present Age and Inner Light, p. 63.) 

So the word of God, which has triumphantly withstood 
the assaults of some of the mightiest intellects the world has 
ever known, and is without a flaw, without a contradiction 
from Genesis to Revelation is deserving of no more reverence 
and should be accorded no more authority, than we would 
give to a modern spirit communication. Yet, these "thou- 
sands of equally good revelations," which we are asked to 
accept, and for which we are expected to repudiate our Bible, 
are not to be relied upon, as is shown by the fact that Mr. 
Davis himself gives nine reasons why spirit communications 
are contradictory, from which we quote the following: 



240 THE REALITY AND 

"The chief cause of contradiction. A medium may ob- 
tain thoughts from a person sitting in the circle, or from a 
mind even in some distant portion of this globe * * * 
and still be wholly deceived as to the source of them. Be- 
cause, so far as all the primary interior sensations and per- 
sonal evidences are concerned, such impressions do appear 
and feel, to the receptive vessels of the medium, precisely 
identical with those which emanates from a mind beyond the 
dominion of the tomb! This is true, because the laws of 
mental sympathy are the same on earth, identical between 
mind and mind here, as in the Spirit-Land. Hence it is 
that some media and clairvoyants, and minds also in prayer- 
ful or supplicatory moods, quite frequently receive responses 
to their thoughts and prayers, from terrestrial sources and 
minds; even while the interior conviction may be sanguine 
to the contrary, that the answer really descended from some 
super-sensuous intelligence and invisible power! * * * 

"Sixth. Inasmuch as most media are, as yet, nearly 
destitute of that indispensable sub-stratum of spirit culture 
and interior experience which are essential to the formation 
of a correct, discriminating judgment as to' the precise source 
from which their impressions emanate; so, therefore, for 
this reason, it is not safe to rely without the entire approba- 
tion of their own judgments and powers of understanding, 
upon what may be thus communicated." (Ibid., pp. 202, 
203, 204. ) This shows the unreliability of spirit communi- 
cations, they may be from the living or the dead ; even the 
mediums have no means of determining the source from 
which they emanate. Yet in the face of his admissions, Mr. 
Davis himself places the utmost confidence in their relia- 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 241 

bility and offers them to the world as "unequivocal knowl- 
edge." 

In discussing the difference between Jesus' teaching and 
that of the Harmonial Philosophy, Mr. Davis says : 

"The Carpenter's son of the earlier time, according to 
testamental relation, although richly endowed with powers 
of interior discernment, and with a holy love for man, did 
not attempt to philosophize, on the nature of God, on the law 
of Immortality, on the structure of the universe, or upon 
social Organization; and, consequently, not having received 
this kind of information, the 'world needs', calls for light 
upon the eternal science of Cause and Effect ; more light upon 
the ever-pressing problems of our present and perspective 
existence ! 

"The Harmonial Philosophy is the Harbinger of these 
additional revelations. 

"I know I shall be told, as I frequently have been, that 
Jesus manifested his exalted dignity, that he gave evidence 
of his supernal nature and inspiration, in the fact that he 
never descended to reason and debate upon these great ques- 
tions. It is affirmed that he knew the truth in the innermost, 
foresaw its ultimate triumph, and differing from all other 
teachers before or since, he simply majestically announced it, 
trusting in its own inherent power to work its own way into 
and through the world. And in addition to this, it is also 
said, that the Testaments contain all the wisdom, all the light 
necessary for man. But Time, time, bringing with it the 
combined and conspiring testimony of departed and retir- 
ing generations, has demonstrated this assertion to be a fal- 



242 THE REALITY AND 

lacy. For while mankind have intuition and moral percep- 
tions to which Jesus directed his teachings, they possess re- 
flective faculties, also, and reasoning powers, which 'need/ 
yea, require for their development, to be judiciously ad- 
dressed. This, be it remembered, the Man of Love did not 
do; it is this which the Harmonial Philosophy is designed to 
do. Jesus introduced the era of Love; but an era of Wisdom 
is also required. An age of impulse demands an age of 
Reason." {Present Age and Inner Life, pp. 23, 24.) 

Mr. Davis is wrong in supposing that Jesus was an in- 
dependent teacher, that he came to inaugurate a new school 
of philosophy, for as a matter of fact he only taught what 
every prophet who preceded him taught. The narrative of 
Creation as recorded in the first and second chapters of the 
book of Genesis proclaims the existence of God; discusses, 
(1) the creation of matter; (2), the formation of the great 
bodies; (3), the formation of plants, animals and man; (4), 
the relation of man to God; (5), man's relation to man and 
to the animals ; ( 6 ) , the conditional immortality of the soul. 
Jesus accepted Moses' cosmogony of the universe, conse- 
quently to him all other cosmogonies were false. And for 
him to have discussed these great questions would have been 
simply a repetition of the teachings of Moses and the other 
prophets. The world had, therefore, all the "light" needed 
upon these important questions, and if it had not, we fail to 
see how Mr. Davis, with his atheism, which he is pleased to 
term the "Harmonial Philosophy," has thrown any addi- 
tional "light" on the subject. 

Had Mr. Davis read the 46th and 47th verses of the sec- 
ond chapter of Luke, he would have found Jesus at the age of 



\L ■ 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 243 

twelve in a discussion with the doctors of his day; and as 
he was "both hearing them, and asking them questions/' 
their argument must naturally have been in the form of a 
debate. In addition to this, his whole teachings were in op- 
position to the corrupted teachings of the Jewish priest- 
hood, paganism and atheism and necessarily partook more 
or less of the nature of a debate. 

This statement that time has demonstrated the fallacy 
of the teachings of the Testaments is a bald assertion un- 
supported by any proof. On the contrary, his statement is 
in direct conflict with all modern scientific research, and is 
clearly disproved by the utterances of the most distinguished 
scientists and most profound thinkers of the age ; America's 
g*reat geologist, James D. Dana, says : 

"The first thought that strikes the scientific reader is the 
evidence of divinity, not merely in the first verse of the rec- 
ord and the successive fiats, but in the whole order of crea- 
tion. There is so much that the most recent readings of 
science have for the first time explained, that the idea of man 
as the author becomes utterly incomprehensible. By proving 
the record true, science pronounces it divine; for who could 
have correctly narrated the secrets of eternity but God him- 
self?" 

Another geologist, Arnold Guyot, says : "To a sincere 
and unsophisticated mind, it must be evident that the grand 
outlines sketched by Moses are the same as those which 
modern science enables us to trace. The same divine hand 
which lifted up before the eyes of Daniel and Isaiah the veil 
which covered the tableau of time to come, unveiled before- 
the eyes of the author of Genesis the earliest ages of the crea- 



344 THE REALITY AND 

tion ; and Moses was the prophet of the past, as Daniel and 
Isaiah and many others were the prophets of the future." 

Chancellor J. W. Dawson, another distinguished geolo^ 
gist, says : "The order of creation, as stated in Genesis, is 
faultless in the light of modern science and many of its 
details present the most remarkable agreement with the 
results of sciences born only in our day." 

Professor Benjamin Pierce, of Harvard College, another 
eminent scientist, says : "Science and religion were born in 
the same house, and that house is not divided against itself. 
There is, and will be, an apparent conflict between them; 
but it is of human origin, arising from the defects of our 
knowledge and not from the greatness of it." 

Professor Sillman, of Yale College, another high au- 
thority, says : "The relation of geology, as well as as- 
tronomy, to the Bible, when both are understood, is that of 
perfect harmony." 

In an unpublished manuscript by Charles Carroll, to 
whose kindness and courtesy we are indebted, he says : "The 
astronomical views of the ancients, many of whom were con- 
temporary with the Bible writers, were perfectly absurd. 
Leucippus held that the earth has the form of a drum; and 
Anaximenes taught that it was in the shape of a table. Philo- 
laus believed the sun to be a crystal whose light is simply a 
reflection of the light of the earth. Anaxagoras held that the 
sun was made from a mass of iron. Pharnaces believed the 
moon to be 'wholly a mixture of air and wild fire.' Plato 
believed the stars to be of a fiery nature mixed with some- 
thing like glue. The ancient Persians held that the stars 
are Gods. There were many others who entertained opin- 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 245 

ions as absurd as these. The Bible has always been in con- 
flict with the theories of these old philosophers; and now 
modern science comes forward and at once endorses the 
Bible and demolishes these ancient speculations. Sir John 
Herschel, one of the most distinguished astronomers of the 
age, expresses his opinion of the effect of modern research 
upon the Bible as follows : 'All human discoveries seem to 
be made only for the purpose of confirming more and more 
strongly the truths contained in the Holy Scriptures.' 

"Moses was born, and reared, and educated in Egypt, 
the nation which is supposed to have been the birth-place of 
astrology. Astrology was universally taught in all civilized 
countries that were contemporary with Israel ; and even the 
Israelites were misled into accepting it. Astrology swayed 
Europe, even in modern times, and was taught in the univer- 
sities of Italy as late as the fourteenth century. Yet neither 
Moses, nor any one of the Bible authors made the mistake 
of giving astrology the stamp of his approval; on the con- 
trary, the teachings of astrology are in conflict with all the 
teachings of scripture. Now, modern science has dealt the 
death blow to astrology ; thus again declaring the correctness 
of the Bible." 

The late Commodore M.F. Maury, another distinguished 
scientific writer, says : "I have always found in my scientific 
studies, that, when I could get the Bible to say anything 
upon the subject, it afforded me a firm platform to stand 
upon, and a round in the ladder by which I could safely 
ascend." 

Such masters of political science as Burke, Pitt, Wash- 
ington, the Adamses, Webster, Lincoln, Davis and Glad- 
stone, recognized the Bible as the highest authority. Such 



246 THE REALITY AND 

jurists as Grotins, Montesquien, Selden, Blackstone, Mar- 
shall, Somers, Story and Kent, always regarded the Bible 
as the court of ultimate appeal. 

In the face of this mass of evidence, from the highest 
authorities, the unsupported statement of Davis, that time 
has demonstrated the "fallacy" of the Testaments, looks 
absurd 

In contradiction to the statement of Davis that Jesus in 
his teachings appealed only to the "intuitive and moral per- 
ceptions" of mankind, we would refer the reader to the 
thirteenth chapter of Matthew, which is a continuous argu- 
ment illustrated by parables to simplify and make his mean- 
ing clear, and afterwards, "When he was come into his own 
country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that 
they w r ere astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this 
wisdom, and these mighty works ?" 

Instead of the teachings of the Bible, we are offered the 
Harmonial Philosophy by Davis. 

W r l at is it that the Harmonial Philosophy promises ? 
Why, a philosophy, does it not, that will appeal to our in- 
telligence, to our reason, and leave intuition to the "Man of 
Love." But strange as it may seem, Mr. Davis, after ar- 
raigning the Saviour for merely appealing to the intuition 
of his hearers at once proceeds to inform us that, "In the 
Harmonial Philosophy, Intuition is regarded as the soul's 
authority in all religious development." {Ibid., p. 35.) 

Such glaring contradictions are discouraging to say the 
least, to those seeking the truth. Again we find these spirit 
communications, these "equally good revelations," whose 
teachings we are to accept and follow as more worthy of 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 247 

acceptance and credence than the Bible, contain contradic- 
tions which annoyed even Judge Edmonds, a leading au- 
thority on Spiritualism. In his writings we find the follow- 
ing: 

"On Thursday, you said children do not grow in size in 
the spirit-land faster than on earth. On Friday, I heard 
read a beautiful and otherwise instructive communication 
from the spirit world, which says they do*. Which is right, 
and why this discrepancy ? 

"It w r as answered: 

"I teach you in accordance with God's laws, both on 
earth and in the spirit-world. Therefore, when I have said 
anything seemingly incompatible with the operation of those 
laws, and which to your minds, does not correspond with 
what you know of the effects of laws which is apparent, then 
you have good right to question the correctness of my 
teaching. But I have taught you that God has instituted 
laws predicated upon principles coeval with himself, and 
therefore he can not depart from them. Now spirit pos- 
sesses, organization, and is subject to the laws of that organ- 
ization as well as you on earth are subject to the laws of ma- 
teriality. The effect of the laws operating on our organiza- 
tion is almost precisely the same as the laws operating on 
yours. We are divested, it is true, of the grosser particles 
o<f your nature, and we are spared all the evils which that 
organization induces, yet we do not live here by any special 
administration of the power of God, neither is the spirit- 
world conducted by miracles. We act and live, we work, 
we toil, we develop just as you do on earth, only, the internal, 
which is the essence of the everlasting principle of God 



248 THE REALITY AND 

himself (as it emanated from him) expands in a greater 
ratio than does the body. Take no statements, therefore, 
that are not based on laws satisfactory to your judgment, 
and depend upon it, that when any revelation is made, hav- 
ing the garment of marvelousness wrapped about it, that 
either it is a compound of the medium's imagination, or it 
emanates from some spirit whose veracity is to be doubted." 
(Spiritualism, pp. 136, 137.) 

When two such authorities as Edmonds and Davis warn 
us against placing too much confidence in mediums, not that 
they would knowingly misinform us, but through the very 
best of intentions they are liable to err, what can be said 
for the correctness of the information they give us ? Surely 
as to its reliability and truthfulness, nothing. Yet, the whole 
fabric of Spiritualism is based upon testimony, the truth of 
which can not be demonstrated, and arrives through chan- 
nels over which a doubt has been cast by the most ardent 
advocates of the cause. In proof of which we offer from 
Edmonds another caution about receiving spirit communica- 
tions, in which he says : • 

"When you converse with spirits, do not take the state- 
ments o<f your friends as infallibly true. They may not in- 
tend to mislead you, but, perhaps, they are not so advanced 
that they can truly instruct you about subjects which you are 
anxious to understand. Learn, too, that except for special 
purposes connected with this subject, we rarely say anything 
about personal affairs. We can not judge more correctly of 
the consequents of your acts in life than can you. As our 
thoughts are almost entirely absorbed in matters above and 
beyond the things of earth, when a spirit directs you about 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 249 

personal affairs, doubt, and you will always be satisfied in 
the end that you doubted just at the proper time." (Ibid., 
p. 187.) Still another in the same vein: "Spirits in that 
respect are like mortals, they can tell us only what they 
know and as they know it. They, like us, frequently think 
they know when they do not, and while they mean to speak 
truly, from ignorance they err." (Ibid., Appendix, p. 455.) 
The intelligent reader will see that Judge Edmonds might 
have said in short that as a source of information, spirit 
communications are absoluely worthless. 

In discussing how spirits live, Edmonds says : 

"We occupy earth — tangible, positive earth — as much as 
your earth ; but the advanced state of both spirit and locality 
renders it unnecessary for us to labor much to obtain food 
for the support of our bodies." (Ibid., p. 175.) 

Holcombe flatly contradicts Edmonds, as shown by the 
following : "The natural body lives by bread, but the spir- 
itual body by the words that proceed out of the mouth of 
God. We require spiritual food for the organic spiritual side 
of our life. Spiritual food is affection and thought, or in 
more comprehensive terms, good and truth. The spiritual 
body grows by the reception of affections and thoughts, by 
the appropriation and assimilation of spiritual good and truth 
just as the natural body grows by the digestion and assimi- 
lation of natural food." (The Other Life, p. 44.) 

But, as if wishing to leave us entirely at sea on the sub- 
ject, Holcombe contradicts himself, as shown by the fol- 
lowing: "The very people who believe it and love it and 
preach it, cannot realize that the Bible shows us that angels 



250 THE REALITY AND 

and departed spirits are living already in the human form, 
seeing, feeling, loving and even eating as we do." (Ibid., 
p. 105.) 

Of the spirit, claiming to be Swedenborg, Edmonds asks 
this question ; the law which governs sex is such that about 
an equal number of each is born, is this so, because each male 
must have his female for eternity? 

"God exists as a principle. He is one self and without 
any distinctive characteristic as to person or sex. Now, if 
this is so — and who should doubt it ? — why should the same 
principles emanating from this source possess properties dis- 
tinct from the germ from whence they sprang ? Why should 
the spirit of man possess sex, when the spirit of God is char- 
acterized by no gender. * * * Now whether one male is 
formed for another female, and they twain go hand in hand 
through the various stages of eternity, I cannot say, but rea- 
soning from what I know, I should say, No>. For in one 
stage of existence the affinities which attract male to female, 
and otherwise, might act as a repellant in another stage. 

"Besides, when the soul leaves the body, it might be at- 
tracted by its affinities to some part of the universe where the 
mate of this soul would not — could not follow." (Spiritual- 
ism, pp. 138, 139.) 

In direct contradiction to Edmonds, Holcombe says : 

"The spiritual bodies in which we find ourselves after 
death, are male and female. Man is man and woman is wo- 
man, morally, intellectually and organically forever. One 
can not live the life or fulfill the functions or be transmuted 
into the form of the other. The anatomical differences flow 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 251 

from the spiritual differences ; and both are essential, organic 
and eternal. Sex is mental. The sexes were made for each 
other, not only in time but for eternity. It is only in heaven 
that we learn the true nature of love. It is only in heaven 
that marriage is spiritual, celestial, perpetual, divine." (The 
Other Life, p. 46.) 

The reader will see that it is impossible to reconcile the 
above contradictory statements, yet they are fair specimens 
of what is obtained from the spirits. 

Is it not strange that if spirits do come in touch with 
the "Fountain of All Knowledge" as spiritualists claim they 
do, and can obtain correct information concerning the origin 
of the universe and its phenomena, is it not strange, we say, 
that they can so correctly inform themselves upon these im- 
portant questions as to be able to give us "unequivocal 
knowledge" and yet can obtain no positive information con- 
cerning Jesus Christ and his mission ? That they know ab- 
solutely nothing about Him is shown by the contradictory 
views entertained and expressed by these departed spirits 
through the various mediums, as shown by the following: 

"Ques. — Have you ever seen Confucius or Zoroaster ? 

"Ans. — Yes, many times. 

"Q. — In the order of degree, which stands the higher in 
moral excellence — Jesus Christ, Confucius, or Zoroaster ? 

"A. — Confucius in morality higher than the other two 
* * * Jesus himself claims to have been inspired to a 
large extent, by this same Confucius. And if we are to place 
reliance upon the records concerning each individual, we shall 



252 THE REALITY AND 

find that Jesus spoke the truth when he tells us that he was 
inspired by Confucius." (Banner of Light, June 4, 1864.) 

In contradiction to this, is the following: 

"Ques. — Do you accept Jesus as the model of spiritual 
knowledge ? 

"Ans. — Shall you give us a better example? 

"Q. — Well, we are willing to accept him as one of 
many, but not as chief. 

"A. — Change the name. Call him by other names — 
Buddha, Krishna, or Mohammed, the spirit is one — is ever 
and ever the same. Spirit is one, not many, however often 
the name is changed. 

"Q. — Were not Jesus, Buddha, and Mohammed distinct 
personalities ? 

"A. — No more than atoms emanating from the same 
source — parts of the great All of Being, partaking of the 
general characteristics of the grand whole — -but yielding to 
environments, showed individualism, such as the force of the 
times in which they appeared would create in their char- 
acters. , 

"Q. — Are these leaders of religions thought not distinct 
individualities now? 

"A. — No, not on spiritual planes, which do not recog- 
nize any now." (Automatic, or Spirit Writings, pp. 149, 

In commenting on the above, Uriah Smith says : 

"Thus they persist in denying that Jesus holds any 
pre-eminent position as a religious teacher. He may as 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 253 

well be called Buddha, Krishna, or Mohammed as Jesus. 
They are all the same spirit, all atoms of the great 'All of 
Being,' all as much alike as three drops of water from the 
same ocean, and what is more bewildering still, they have 
now all lost their individuality in the spirit world. How, 
then, can it be told that Christ is in the sixth sphere, and 
Paine in the seventh?" (Modem Spiritualism Considered, 
p. 87.) 

Uriah Smith, in quoting Dr. Weisse, says : 

" 'Friend Orton seems to make rather light of the com- 
munications from spirits concerning Christ. It seems, never- 
theless, that all the testimony received from advanced spirits 
only shows that Christ was a medium and reformer in 
Judea, that he now is an advanced spirit in the sixth sphere; 
but that he never claimed to be God, and does not at present. 
I have had two communications to that effect: I have 
also read some that Dr. Hare had. If I am wrong in 
my views of the Bible, I should like to know it, for the spir- 
its and mediums do not contradict me!' 

"The peculiar insult here purposely offered to the Sa- 
vior will be appreciated when it is noted that at about the 
same time the spirits located Thomas Paine, the well known 
skeptic, in the seventh sphere, one sphere above that of 
Christ. He must, therefore, have progressed very rapidly, 
seeing he so quickly surpassed Christ who had over 1700 
years the start of him." (Ibid., pp. 84, 85.) 

The spirit informants of Judge Edmonds contradicts 
all the above spirit communications, as the following will 
show: 



254 THE REALITY AND 

"In all our teachings you will observe that we have 
omitted to say anything regarding the Christ, or the views 
we have of the true intent and purpose of his mission on 
earth, as well as his connection with the great Being, who it 
was said was not only his father, but the God-head made 
manifest in the form of this very Christ Jesus. We have 
felt that the idea of intercourse with spirits out o>f the form 
would be denied and scouted at, and that this idea alone was 
of itself sufficient for our purpose, first to establish, and 
that the advance of any opinion, opposing the very basis of 
the faith of much of the Christian world, would, before the 
fact of spirit-communion being recognized, destroy all that 
we intended to accomplish, and would raise up such a host 
of opposers that there could be no chance for the proper 
circulation of the truth of the facts which we labored to 
teach. 

"Thus, in this subject, as well as other matters of great 
importance, the advanced spirits have refrained from im- 
parting their knowledge of the true mission of Christ, and 
were it not that I feel I can say to you what is proper should 
be said at this time, I should decline even now from calling 
your attention to the true facts of the case. 

"But it is well you should understand that I can only 
reason. Your inferences are within the control of your own 
thoughts, and you have received so many ideas lately which 
you have reasoned rightly upon, that I am confident I can 
venture to give you my arguments without any apprehen- 
sion of their being misunderstood. 

"One consideration should always be borne in mind, it 
must be assumed as a fact, not only as regards your world, 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 255 

but our world, too, in fact, the whole operation of God's 
laws, whether pertaining to himself, or whether in refer- 
ence to any department of man or matter, that God never 
works by miracle. 

"This idea received and established will satisfy you, that 
all the vague and incongruous theories of the power of the 
Creator and his manifestations are but the confused impres- 
sions of what God might do, not that which He does exhibit. 

"Thus, at the bottom of all religious doctrines which 
recognize Christ as the son and incarnation of God, there is 
an incomprehensible idea that some wonderful act, out of 
the common way, was performed by the Creator when he im- 
pressed his own identity on a being of his own creation; 
that instead of a body or being, born into the world with 
the usual spirit-part also, God in a miraculous manner con- 
nected the whole of his universal being with the embryo, and 
thus was born Christ as a man in body, but in spirit the very 
God himself. That also out of the common course he gene- 
rated a living soul; that in a miraculous manner he created 
out of the life-principle in the woman a being partaking of 
all the properties and attributes common to man. 

"I can not comprehend why that Being to whom is as- 
scribed a- knowledge commensurate with his very nature 
and pretentions, and who is considered to be Being without 
change, and who, it is believed and taught, has established 
laws which are sufficient to accomplish all that they 
were designed to fulfill, should so far deviate, in a mat- 
ter so completely under the control of certain laws, the 
effect of which has obtained, and does obtain, in the propa- 
gation of every species of man and animals as well as in 



256 THE REALITY AND 

vegetables, in the most minute insect, as well as the most 
powerful animals known to man, should, I say, in a 
matter so well understood and so completely established in 
the very impulse and sentiments of our nature, deviate from 
the ordinary operation of those laws, and create a man in 
such a singular way, when it would have answered his pur- 
pose just as well to have complied with the requisites of the 
laws he had instituted for the effect of this very purpose. 
But there never was a successful system of religion without 
its grave mysteries, mysteries not to be understood by any 
but those who were the high priests of its altars. 

"A popular religion without its indistinct mysteries 
would not stand a year. No, the moral influence which 
guides and controls the Christian, aye! the savage world, is 
the dark and profound ideas of the mysterious powers 
granted to those who teach their doctrine's, the awful powers 
and the dark shadowings of that Being whom they rep- 
resent as inchangeable, 'without shadow of turning.' 

"It is said that God created man from the dust of the 
earth. Now this is very well ; but can it be conceived that 
when God had fashioned this world, and had instituted laws 
for its government, had created animals under this law, that 
he should so far deviate in the very commencement from 
those laws and create man, who ever afterwards came under 
the full influence and workings of those rules, in an out-of- 
the-way manner, as if he were afraid to trust himself or the 
laws he had founded? 

* "What sort of being can he be who makes laws, and 
commands all his beings to respect and obey them, and who 
has made the very instincts of their nature conform to their 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 257 

proper influence, and then he, the framer, the Being of all 
others the most likely to regard them, should, to accom- 
plish an object just as well effected under those laws, be- 
come the first infractor, the first violator? Human intellect 
can not reason on this subject. It would appear so contra- 
dictory, that the good sense of man would reject the idea, 
were it not surrounded by the incomprehensible mystery 
which has been attached to it; so that man, fearing to in- 
vestigate, yields a blind belief, and trusts the keeping of his 
own judgment to the control and custody of men who play 
with it to suit their own purposes, and direct it as they wish 
or please. 

"Therefore I can not be mistaken in my views. You must 
comprehend me when I say the very res in rem is not 
tenable. It wants proof to satisfy the sterling common 
sense of man, and had he acted on the fair properties of his 
mind, and had not trusted his very judgment to the priests 
and churches of all sects, from a slavish fear, long, long 
ago this idea would have been exploded, rejected as unfit 
for the spirit which claims kindred with God himself. 

"But suppose all that has been written of the manner of 
Christ's birth and conception is true, suppose we admit that 
it was compatible with the nature of God, how shall we 
reconcile the object of his birth with what we know of the 
Creator and the very laws by which he governs man as well 
as all created beings? 

"To presume a necessity existing which made it ex- 
pedient that the Creator should go round the effects of cer- 
tains acts contravening the laws he had founded, and this, 
too, on the part of man, would, in spite of all willingness to 



258 THE REALITY AND 

admit the most absurd ideas, to my view, conflict with all 
the received notions of God as revealed in his works, or even 
taught by the high priests of any religion accepted by man. 

"How could he propose any method of evading a law? 
Why, the law must be presumed to be the very principle 
most fitted for man and his action under it, and that the 
proposition emanated from him to transcend the effect of this 
law would be virtually to say as from God himself, 'If you 
find my laws too stringent, I will devise a way in which you 
can escape the true purpose for which I established them. 
I will set aside my own nature, and in contradiction to the 
universal command I have issued to you toi obey them, will 
show you how you may violate them, and yet come under 
no punishment.' " {Spiritualism, pp. 208, 209, 210, 211, 
212.) 

The next evening the lecture was opened by Judge Ed- 
monds, putting to the spirit, calling itself Bacon, the fol- 
lowing question : "At one time you say you 'can only 
reason,' at another, you speak of 'the facts of the case.' 
Now, has it not been possible for the advanced spirits to 
ascertain certainly about the existence, and birth, and actual 
history of Jesus?" This was the answer given: 

"Although I mentioned 'facts,' yet you will observe I 
cited no evidence except the principles on which I suppose 
the laws of God were predicated. I meant that you should 
accept my reasonings for what they were worth, as I could 
not give you the true history of the birth, and life, and mis- 
sion of Jesus Christ. 

"Yes, there are spirits who know everything in relation 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 259 

to the circumstances which gave birth to Christ. They are 
far above my position. They occupy those glorious spheres 
where all that can be known of God is revealed to them. But 
those omnipotent truths we are not permitted to know for 
a certainty, till we are divested of all that is gross in our or- 
ganization, and all that is of error in our minds. Certainly 
it is not to be told you again, that there is as much conflict 
of opinion on the true nature of Christ here as with you. 
But I am reasoning from causes which come under the full 
operation of the principles on which they are founded, and 
the effect of which is observed in everything which ema- 
nates from God — -everything natural, everything divine;. 
(Ibid., p. 213.) 

Continuing, farther on, the same spirit says : 
"Christ I never saw. The very faculties of his nature, 
which enabled him to progress so much while on earth, have 
so materially advanced his passage through the spheres that 
he has far outstripped the rest of his race. Christ, in the de- 
velopment of all the high, noble and good characteristics of 
his nature, became perfect even as God is perfect, and he 
now dwells in those happy spheres where God is made mani- 
fest in all the mighty effects of his being. I doubt if he has 
descended to these spheres since his advent to' this world. 
A nature so pure would seek its happiness where there was 
no grossness to pain it, and no material barriers to interrupt 
its progress. Thus, I believe Christ is with God, where I 
shall see him, and so shall you, when thousands and tens O'f 
thousands of years shall have passed away; when divested 
of sin, when pure as the morning star, your spirit shall wend 
its way through the eternal glories of the celestial spheres ; 



260 THE REALITY AND 

when in the immortal splendor and brilliance of your own 
purity you shall be able to stand in the presence of the spirits 
who are in themselves God; when not a thought shall ani- 
mate you, not a feeling influence you, but such as shall dis- 
tinguish you as a spirit given off from the First Cause, holy, 
immaculate, and regenerated forever. 

"Then shall you, and I, and all of us, see Christ, for 
then shall we be like him, then shall we possess the courage 
to seek him, and then shall he say, Ye are my brothers and 
ye are my sisters." {Ibid., pp. 384, 385.) 

Spirits who claim to have come in personal contact with 
Jesus Christ, or with spirits who have, deceive us wilfully 
or, are themselves deceived. For Christ is not in the world 
of spirits, nor has he been for lo, these many years. We 
wish to call attention to the fact that even the spirits realize 
that there are spirits occupying "those glorious spheres," 
which no doubt is paradise, who understand all there is to be 
known concerning the nature of Jesus Christ; and these 
are those who believed in His divinity, realized and appre- 
ciated His mission upon the earth, and accepted Him as their 
Savior. The great truths concerning the Savior known 
to those spirits in paradise, can not be acquired by others; 
and ' even if they knew they would not be permitted to 
tell to us ; this clearly shows that we have nothing to expect 
from the spirits, and that the only source of informa- 
tion we have is the inspired word of God — "ye have the law 
and the prophets." 

The spirits assert that Jesus Christ "is an advanced spirit 
in the sixth sphere," in opposition to this, the Bible plainly 
states that Jesus "was received up into heaven, and sat on 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 261 

the right hand of God." (Mark xvi., 19.) This also shows 
the unreliability of the statement of the spirits that Jesus 
is not a "distinct personality." The spirits also assert that 
Christ "never claimed to be God;" yet Jesus said: 

"I and my Father are one. 

"Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and 
sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said I 
am the Son of God." (St. John xi., 30, 36.) Jesus Christ 
not only recognized God as His Father, but at the baptism 
of our Saviour God recognized Jesus Christ as His son: 
"Above the spot where Jordan's rushing waters clove in 
twain Judea's sunny land, the skies were vent ; and out of this 
clift made in the clouds, the voice of God issued, saying, 
'This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.' " 



CHAPTER XIV. 
Contradictions Continued. 

Are there evil spirits or are there not ? 

One would naturally suppose that the spirit communica- 
tions received from the other side of life would be a unit 
in this subject; but such is not the case; instead, there 
seems to be almost as many views on the subject of evil spir- 
its and hell, as entertained and expressed by the departed 
spirits themselves through their mediums, as there are me- 
diums who write, each one having their own pet theories or 
views to advance without any reference to what may already 
have been stated on this subject; thus flatly contradicting 
each other. In proof of which we offer the following con- 
tradictions : In discussing this subject, Mr. Ambler says : 

"The spirits utterly disclaimed all truth in the imagina- 
tions of individuals who believe in the doctrine of evil 
spirits, and would have it distinctly understood that the 
Divine Being has no power to create that which is evil, and 
that the spirits which He has created have been formed in 
his own likeness and impressed with his divine image." 
(The Spiritual Teacher, p. 116.) In discussing the same 
subject and in direct opposition to the views above ex- 
pressed, Moses Hull says : "That there are wicked spirits 
in the heavenly regions, no Spiritualist doubts more than he 

262 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 263 

doubts that there are wicked men in the earthly regions. 
Spiritualists who place themselves en rapport with the spirit 
world, unless they live upright and temperate lives, will be 
likely to have trouble with wicked spirits; just as I would 
expect, if I kept a resort for bad people, to have trouble with 
some of them." {Encyclopedia of Biblical Spiritualism, 
p. 363.) 

Davis disagrees with Moses Hull, and instead of "evil" 
he has "misdirected" spirits ; and asserts that the body may 
do evil and the spirit still retain its purity. A very peculiar 
and dangerous doctrine and one we are happy to say is not 
generally preached from Spiritualistic rostrums of today; 
but we will let Mr. Davis speak for himself : 

"The word 'misdirected,' stands before my mind as a 
truer epithet, and adjective, better describing the actual 
condition of those minds which are unbrotherly, denounced 
as 'devils damned,' or the 'evil spirits' of earth and other 
spheres. Popular ideas of evil begin with the oriental 
myth of intrinsic, unwrought, unmitigated corruption — sin- 
fulness of the inmost heart, in the sight of the All Seeing! 
But, -most grateful am I for the blessing of interior percep- 
tion. To penetrate the superficial veil of superstition — to 
appreciate the 'total depravity' of all arguments and theologic 
systems predicated upon it — were an easy thing. I find no 
intrinsic corruption of the soul of Man. All 'evil,' so-called, 
and 'sin' are external. How can God be inwardly depraved ? 
If the spirit of man comes not from the Infinite fountain of 
goodness, and love, and wisdom, and perfection, whence, 
then, is his life derived? The idea of 'evil spirits' in the 
other world is necessarily grounded upon the primary no- 



264 THE REALITY AND 

tion of intrinsic evil in this world.' But all human evil, so- 
called, can be incontestably and mathematically demon- 
strated to proceed, not out of the essence of the soul, but 
from the following external and superficial sources. 

"First. Progenitive or hereditary misdirection; 

"Second. Education or sympathetic misdirection; 

"Third. Circumstantial or social misdirection. * * * 

"In either instance, the inmost nature or essence is not 
corrupted — it is still pure and immaculate — tending, like the 
fragrance of flowers, towards heaven ; but the external, the 
symbols of life, the outward character is changed, and this 
only ! And it is the essence, not the shape of it, which indi- 
cates and insures destiny." {Present Age and Inner Life, 
pp. 215, 216, 217.) 

Edmonds disagrees with Davis and declares in favor of 
"evil spirits," goes even farther than most spiritualistic 
writers, by furnishing us a description of hell in these 
words : 

"But to the spirits who have lived a life of selfishness, 
disregarding the claims of their race, who have toiled and 
struggled for no other motive than to accomplish their 
own ends, at no matter what cost, who have bowed their 
spirit to the rule of error, and who have delighted to cir- 
cumvent their fellows, who have, while they professed to 
serve God, denied him by their acts — they die, and their 
spirits enter new bodies. Now I beg, in this connection, to 
say that, there must either in man's residence on earth be the 
development of his spirit and the corresponding progress, 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 265 

or there must be a retrogression and a consequent de- 
preciation of the true desires of his nature. Thus it is, when 
the spirit by its acts retrogrades the true type of that con- 
dition is most distinctly manifest after death in the acquired 
tastes of that spirit for the scenes which on earth afforded 
him pleasure. And it turns from the contemplation of what 
is around, above, and beyond, to the constant yearning after 
that which is below, which is gross, which is circumscribed 
in the limits of your globe. It does not associate with those 
whose aspirations are for the good. Its affinities lead it 
toward those whose desires correspond with its own, and 
it chooses for its companions those whose habitations are 
near this earth, and whose tastes are of the same character. 
Its body is not as specifically light as are those of the 
progressed spirits, for with us as with you, certain localities 
change the very particles of our organization, and develop 
characteristics really opposed to the intent of our creation. 
I cite in corroboration of this statement the tribes of Hot- 
tentots, whose organization is so gross that the very forma- 
tion of certain organs of the body is so changed that they do 
not resemble that of a human body. By living near the 
earth, obtaining their sustenance from the bodies near to it 
(for we can transport ourselves miles without number in a 
moment of time), they acquire an aspect differing widely 
from our external appearance. Their bodies are sublimated, 
it is true, but still, were you able to see them, you would 
scarcely distinguish the difference between them and men 
of your own earth. I now speak of spirits whose minds are 
not really evil, but not progressive. 

"There is another class to which I will direct your at- 



266 THE REALITY AND 

tention, as belonging to that division who are really bad, 
and who, by a long course of evil life, have denied their obli- 
gations to man, to God, and to the laws which He has es- 
tablished. After these spirits have passed into their new 
bodies, they are so heavy, so much more dense than are the 
other spirits mentioned, that they can not maintain them- 
selves even near the earth, but sink far below it, and are 
really of so dark a hue that they are almost black. 

"Now the place of their residence is far below that which 
I ever had a desire to visit, and I cannot tell you from actual 
observation what it is, but it is said to be an extensive plane, 
with but one single mountain in the center. So attached are 
the inhabitants to this intermeniable level that they scarcely 
attempt for years to ascend this mountain. Now it is almost 
always night there, or rather a condition midway between 
night and day, and if they were to ascend this mountain, it 
is said they would catch a glimpse of the brighter lands 
beyond, and a desire would be created in their minds to leave 
this place for the world beyond. How true- this is, I can 
not say ; probably there is some condition or state resembling 
this, and it may be this is true. Sometimes, inspired by their 
own wicked feelings, they make a strong effort and force 
themselves to your earth, and then it is that some unfortunate 
one is impressed with wicked thoughts, and is pursuaded to 
do wicked things; but God in his infinite wisdom does not 
leave the administration of his divine or material laws to 
beings of so corrupt a nature. 

"He prefers that man shall have no one to blame but 
himself, and the circumstances around him for his sinful 
acts ; and it would conflict with the laws he has instituted if 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 267 

he permitted man to be controlled by spirits inferior to him- 
self But you can imagine the darkness of ignorance into 
which these spirits are plunged, by comparing the benighted 
cannibals of your own earth with yourselves, only adding to 
the comparison the fact, that in one it is a developed spirit, 
advanced one step beyond the earth, and in the other it is 
of earth. 

"The first class referred to are those who confuse these 
revelations most, particularly by misrepresentation and 
deceit. They are always on the alert to seize on impressi- 
ble mediums, and through this channel to impart incorrect 
statements relative to 'life in the spheres.' 

"Now, allow me to say that the first idea embraced in 
the revelations made to your family, Dr., was the correct 
one; that is, that spirits (unprocessed ones) dare not 
assume the personality of any other spirit, so you demand of 
them the truth in the name of God. But they misdirect, 
bewilder, confuse, make false statements of the nature of 
these manifestations, and would willingly create doubt; 
for these spirits are allowed to mix with other spirits, whose 
duties bring them to earth, and thus they are enabled to 
make false statements regarding them. In short, they de- 
light in inculcating error, as they did in receiving and learn- 
ing it when on earth. 

"The dark spirits do progress, but it is in a cycle of years. 
The mischievous spirits progress also in much less time, but 
both have laborers among them from the advanced spirits, 
whose duty and pleasure it is to instruct, to disabuse their 
minds of ignorance and. prejudice, and to point them to 



268 THE REALITY AND 

God as the source of all things." (Spiritualism, pp. 168, 
169, 170, 171.) 

Edmond's hell, you will notice, is not an orthodox hell 
from which there is no escape, but a progressive hell, from 
which spirits can, if they desire, and do advance to the 
higher spheres. While Holcombe, on the contrary, gives us 
a hell from which there is no escape, and instead of pro- 
gression, there is retrogression to such a degree that men 
and women cease to remember that they are or ever were 
human beings and are reduced almost to the point of ex- 
tinction, as this shows : 

"We now approach that dark and doleful world which 
is the opposite of heaven; where love is turned into hatred 
and wisdom into folly; light into darkness and pleasure into 
pain ; which the Scriptures symbolize to us as a 'bottomless 
pit,' or the 'lake burning with brimstone and fire/ and which 
men have in all ages imagined to be a fearful prison-house, 
down, down deep in the caverns of the earth, or far be- 
yond the faintest ray of sun or star in the darkness of the 
outermost abyss. * * * 

"Hell is not a place created by God for the punishment 
of sin. On the contrary, it is the heaven of the wicked, cre- 
ated by themselves. They rush into it and abide in it of 
their own accord. 

"There is no attribute of God which calls for the punish- 
ment of sin or which could receive the least satisfaction from 
such punishment, any farther than it may be made a means 
of reforming and blessing the sin. God is infinite love. His 
anger is a false inference drawn by the sensual man from 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 269 

his own state of evil and misery. God wills the same love, 
wisdom, peace, joy, to all in hell that he wills to all in 
heaven. He is the I Am, the sole-existing, the unchange- 
able. 

"There were no angels who fell from heaven and be- 
came devils; but all angels and all devils were once men or 
women on some earth in the physical universe.*- * * 

"The same universal truths which unfolded the mys- 
teries of heaven, will reveal to us also the dreadful secrets 
of hell. These universal truths or keys are the doctrines of 
Influx, Free Agency, Degrees and Correspondence. 

"God is the sole life of the universe. He does not create 
life, but gives it. It is uncreated. We live by his life; not 
by a force, derived perhaps from Him, but now fully our 
own and independent of Him; but by life from moment to 
moment flowing from Him and received into our spirit. 
This is influx. There is not, therefore, one God in heaven 
and another or a different one in hell; one law in heaven 
and an opposite in hell; an economy of grace in one and an 
economy of wrath in the other. The entire universe is held 
together by one breath, one life, one law. • * * * 

"Hell, therefore, is created just as heaven is created. It 
is first an organic state of the soul, and then an external 
place or world produced in correspondence with that state. 
There are three hells opposite to the three heavens ; for the 
three degrees which exist in the human soul, natural, spir- 
itual and celestial, open after death into the heaven or hell 
which man has chosen for himself by his life in the world. 



270 THE REALITY AND 

"Love is the life of heaven ; hatred, the life of hell. The 
hatred of hell is the outward manifestation of a life which 
has been changed into its opposite by its passage through an 
utterly selfish form. The common spirit of all the hells, 
their connecting bond, is hatred to God and the neighbor. 
This hatred is the legitimate result of the love of self, when 
it rises from the place it was designed to occupy — the last 
and lowest — and absorbs and governs the whole soul. * * * 
'The hatred of evil spirits against the angels, against little 
children, against the good and the true in any other spirit, 
and especially against the Divine Word and the sphere of the 
Lord, is intense and almost incredible. * * * The cause of 
it is the interior antagonism between evil and good, so that 
the sphere of love and wisdom produces severe pain in the 
wicked. * * * 

"The heat and light of the spiritual world correspond to 
the love and wisdom of those there, or to their opposites. 
The mind of an angel is radiant with intelligence, because 
his heart is glowing with love. The mind of a devil is dark 
with falsity, because his heart burns with hate. His thoughts 
correspond to his affections. The ignorance, the stupidity, 
the hallucinations, the malicious cunning, the absurd opin- 
ions, the monstrous conceptions, the ridiculous fantasies, 
the vituperative argumentation from false premises to false 
conclusions, which prevail continually in every society in 
hell, and which produce a representative sound like snarling 
or gnashing of teeth, heard by those approaching from a 
distance; all these things have no analogies upon earth ex- 
cept what may be found in some vast insane asylum, where 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 271 

men bereft of reason are congregated in every stage of mad- 
ness — from the raving maniac to the drivelling imbecile. 

Wisdom is light; its absence is darkness. Heaven is a 
world of light ; hell a world of darkness. Think of a king- 
dom of darkness ! a world without the silvery or golden rays 
of a sun, but lit by flames as from burning coals or sulphur- 
eous vapors, or by the wanderings ignes fatui and ghastly 
blue lights of swamps and wildernesses. Such is hell. Some 
evil Spirits are at times plunged in total darkness. Even 
comparatively good spirits, undergoing vastation or judg- 
ment in the world of spirits or intermediate state, are some- 
times kept for a long time in utter darkness. * * * 

"These poor souls in hell cannot be visited by the light 
of heaven. Its accompanying heat would torture them by 
being turned into intense cold, and its light would not be 
seen by them at all, but would obliterate what little light 
of their own they were enjoying in their sad, painful, pit- 
iable way. The reason is that the light of heaven and the 
light of hell, although coming originally from the same 
source, flow through different media, and do not accord or 
correspond. An analogous phenomenon is seen on earth. 
Two waves of light, not according or corresponding, but 
coming into collision, produce darkness. , Two rays of heat 
can also be made to produce cold or a fall in the ther- 
mometer; and two waves of sound may result, not in a 
sound of double intensity, but in absolute silence. 

"Heaven is concealed from the spirits in hell; for they 
cannot feel its heat nor see its light nor breath its atmos- 
phere. They deny its existence, they scoff at the idea of 
God, rave against the name of Christ and the Word, and at- 



272 THE REALITY AND 

tribue all things to nature as stoutly as the most inveterate, 
scientific infidels of our own day. They can be brought back, 
however, into their earthly states of thought, and then 
adjoined to the intellectual sphere of the angels, so that they 
can think from their standpoint, and thus see all the wonders 
of heaven and understand all the truths of the Lord's spirit- 
ual kingdom. But when they return into the state of thought, 
which corresponds with their own emotional life (and they 
cannot rest permanently in any other), they forget every- 
thing they had seen or heard, and regard the wisdom of 
heaven with intense aversion. 

"What bodies have they ? The spiritual body being the 
effigy of the soul, that which effigies a hateful and false na- 
ture must necessarily be hideous and ugly. The Devils are 
therefore deformed and monstrous, fierce and cruel in as- 
pect, hairy, black, filthy, a horrible mixture of man and 
beast. Their faces are sometimes lurid, sometimes like 
those of corpses, always fearful and disgusting. The sound 
of their voice is harsh and grating ; the tones full of subtlety, 
malice, hatred and revenge. The stench that exhales from 
them is intolerable, differing with every society and every 
individual. All these external horrors are in strict corre- 
spondence with their interior states. 

"Yet such is the 'infinite self-conceit and delirious intel- 
lectual fantasies of these unhappy creatures, that they seem 
to each other to be men and women, wise and accomplished 
and enjoying a fare share of personal attractions ! 'This is. 
of the Lord's mercy,' says Swedenborg, lest they should 
seem as filthy, one to another, as they appear before the an- 
gels/ 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 273 

* * * "In what occupations are devils, spiritual 
forms of evil and falsity, likely to engage? The will ever 
strives to go forth into act. The delight of life is to do and 
to be what one loves. The delight of heaven is to obey the 
Lord and to do good to the neighbor. The delight of hell 
is the gratification of an evil selfhood and supremacy over 
the neighbor. Harmony is the spirit of heaven. Discord 
is the spirit of hell. * * * 'In hell, therefore, no one 
applies himself to any good and useful labor for the benefit 
of others, except under dire compulsion. Each one despises 
others in comparison with himself. , Strange as it may ap- 
pear, evil spirits delight to inflict sufferings and punishments 
upon all they meet. Their cunning, subtlety, cruelty, hatred 
and spirit of revenge are almost incredible. They make 
war upon each other and upon men in the flesh, and would if 
they could destroy the order and peace of heaven it- 
self. * * * 

" 'When, therefore, a spirit of his own accord or from his 
own freedom, directs his course to his own hell and enters it, 
he is at first received in a friendly manner, and is thus led to 
believe that he is among friends. This, however, continues 
only for a few hours. In the meantime he is examined with 
a view to discover the degree of his cunning, and thence of 
his power. When this is ascertained they begin to infest 
him; and this they do in various ways, and with gradually 
increasing violence and severity. This is done by introduc- 
ing him more interiorly and deeply into hell ; for the spirits 
are more malignant in proportion as the hell they inhabit is 
more interior and deep. 

" 'After the first infestations they begin to torture him 



274 THE REALITY AND 

with cruel punishments, which they continue until he is re- 
duced to the condition of a slave. But because rebellious 
commotions continually exist there, for every one in hell de- 
sires to be greatest and burns with hatred towards others, 
fresh outrages occur. Thus one miserable scene is changed 
into another. They who are made slaves are taken out of 
their thraldom to assist some new devil' in subjugating 
others ; when they who refuse to submit and to yield implicit 
obedience are again tormented in various ways. And this 
goes on perpetually.' * * * 

"The hells of different kinds of criminals differ as 
widely from each other as the societies of heaven differ. 
Each infernal society is placed opposite to some heavenly so- 
ciety, of which its life is the specific corruption or perver- 
sion. When the hells are in great fermentation they react 
against the governing powers in heaven so forcibly that the 
light and peace of the angels would be sensibly diminished, 
and their influences upon men in the world vastly weakened, 
if the evil spirits were not reduced to submission and a kind 
of dormant state by intense suffering and fear. This is 
meant by 'the kingdom of heaven suflereth violence.' The 
punishment is effected by the mere approach of the angelic 
spheres. 

"The miseries of hell are therefore threefold. First, the 
self-inflicted miseries which flow from the organic state of 
the soul itself so that its surroundings are necessarily 
wretched and loathsome, by the spiritual law of correspond- 
ential creation. Second, the miseries inflicted by some upon 
others in a thousand subtle and astonishing ways. Third, 
the miseries inflicted by the visitation of angelic spheres 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 275 

when it becomes necessary to maintain that degree of order 
and equilibrium upon which the stability of the universe de- 
pends. 

"Observe that these are not the punishments of the sins 
committed in the flesh, but the punishment of sins contin- 
ually being committed on account of the organically evil 
state of the soul. No spirit is ever punished for what he did 
in the world, but only for what he is now doing to afflict and 
destroy others. He has indeed acquired by his life in the 
world the peculiar spiritual constitution, the conformations 
of heart and mind that continually impel him to the commis- 
sion of the evil which precipitates him into suffering and 
punishment. * * * 

"The New Church, * * * affirms that God has no 
justice which can be outraged and insulted by a violation of 
his laws, and which demands a retribution in shape of pun- 
ishment for sin. Spiritual laws are organic. They are ex- 
pressions or modes of life and are not created. They exist 
in the nature of things, by primal necessity, coincidently 
with God himself. God is law. He creates and governs 
man by the laws of his own being. There is not one law 
for God and another for man, but the same for both. 

"When man violates the divine commandments, which 
are the laws of God's life, he does not incur God's displeas- 
ure, but excites his pity. He suffers a dreadful organic 
change in his own spiritual nature, which entails upon him 
eternal and painful consequences ; but they are not legal pun- 
ishments of sin, but necessary effects of a cause which he 
himself has put into operation, viz., the turning himself 
away from God so as to receive the influx of his life into a 



276 „ THE REALITY AND 

perverted and disorderly form. Hell is only punishment of 
sin as a burn is the punishment for putting your hand in the 
fire. 

"Hell, therefore, is not created by God at all, but by man, 
and it is created through his violations of the divine laws. 
Hell is not governed by any other laws or with any other 
spirit than the laws and spirit which prevail in heaven. The 
miseries of hell flow from the influx and operation of the 
laws and spirit of heaven into perverted and disorderly 
forms. Man changes; God is unchangeable. * * * 

"Is this state to be eternal? 

"In the spiritual world there are no times and spaces 
such as in ours; no archives of government, no record of 
events, no historical evolutions. Spirits know nothing of 
time. The spiritual idea of eternity is not an idea of an in- 
terminable succession of events, but an idea of fixity or per- 
petuity of state. The question then resolves itself into this ; 
can the state of evil spirits be changed so as to be brought 
into harmony with the laws of heaven? 

"In despair of such a result, seeing no causes at work 
likely to produce it, the benevolent mind, intolerant of an 
eternal hell, indulges the hope that the sufferings of the 
wicked will be terminated by a process of gradual annihila- 
tion. Swedenborg does not teach this doctrine, although 
some of his statements invest it with a little plausibility. He 
says that some spirits are so far deprived of their own evil 
life by long-continued sufferings, they lose their memory 
and their reflective faculties to such an extent, that they do 
not know they are men or that they ever were men. They 






EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 277 

appear imbecile arid almost lifeless; sometimes as skeletons, 
sitting solitary in sandy wastes or among stony ruins ; some- 
times as almost formless masses, mere ghosts in our view, 
flickering in dark caverns or gliding along the forest shades. 
It seems that a step farther and they would cease to be. ( The 
Other Life, pp. 197, 229, inc.) 

The doctrine of evil spirits is as old as spiritualism it- 
self, notwithstanding the assertions of some modern spirit- 
ualists, to the contrary, as is shown by Jacolliot in the follow- 
ing language : "The following are the transformations of 
the bad spirits : * * * 'bad spirits who are constantly 
attempting to creep into the bodies of men, and return to 
terrestrial life, which they have to pass through anew. 
These bad spirits are the malign secretions of the universe. 
Their only means of regaining the degree of purity required 
for the higher transformations is through thousands and 
thousands of transformations into minerals, plants, and ani- 
mals." {Occult Science in India, p. 124.) 

The Bible teaches that there are. good spirits and that 
there are evil spirits, for example : "And God wrought spe- 
cial miracles by the hands of Paul : So that from his body 
were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the 
diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of 
them." (Acts xix., 11, 12,) Thus, we see that the spirit- 
ualists who hold to the doctrine of evil spirits are right ; but 
they have higher authority for it than spirit communica- 
tions, they have the Infallible Word of God. When we 
fully comprehend the fact that spirit and mind are identical, 
we must see that it must follow of necessitv that there are 



278 



THE REALITY AND 



good and evil spirits or minds; that the mere fact of dying 
would not change persons mentality, but that they would 
naturally be the same in the other side of life as on this, good 
and evil. 



CHAPTER XV. 

Ancient India. 

Is. there any limit to the credulity of mankind ? Is there 
any belief, no matter how absurd, rediculous or preposterous it 
may be, which mankind will not accept providing it is clothed 
in a religious garb? History answers these questions in the 
negative. The Egyptians, Hindoos, Greeks, etc., accepted 
and promulgated as their articles of faith opinions which we 
of the present century do not consider worthy the name of 
religion, but term them mythologies, or the fabulous his- 
tories of the gods of the heathens. Yet, where in the his- 
tory of any nation has there been a greater demand made on 
the credulity of mankind that is required of one who accepts 
the teachings of spiritualism. We of the twentieth century 
boast of greater enlightenment and knowledge than pos- 
sessed by the ancients. In what have we displayed our su- 
periority, when we pause and consider that the opinions 
advanced by spiritualistic leaders are opposed to the results 
of all scientific research, the scriptures, reason, and observa- 
tion, and yet are entertained by tens of thousands who call 
themselves the most liberal, enlightened and progressive peo- 
ple of modern times? The most prominent leaders of 
Modern Spiritualism admit that it is based upon materialism, 
and as has been shown, materialism finds no support in either 

279 



280 THE REALITY AND 

the scriptures or the sciences ; on the contrary, it is in open 
conflict with each. 

The idea of a universe without a personal God — a crea- 
tion without a Creator — is inconceivable. It would be no 
more absurd to suppose that the most intricate and most per- 
fect piece of machinery came into existence of its own voli- 
tion than to suppose that the machinery of the universe with 
all its phenomena is the result of evolution, or what Mr. Da- 
vis terms the "laws of Association, Progression and Devel- 
opment." The deceptions practiced by spiritualistic leaders 
on their followers in their attempts to explain the origin of 
things is the result of ignorance and imposition. Them- 
selves deceived by their spiritual controls, they unintention- 
ally deceive all who come within the scope of their influence. 
There is little or no excuse for the laity when we consider 
the mass of absurdities, inconsistencies and contradictions 
which they are called upon to believe and accept which 
forms so large a part of modern spiritualism. When viewed 
in the light thrown upon it by its leading advocates it be- 
comes plain that spiritualism is not a religion, it is impossi- 
ble to raise it to the dignity of a religion. Though pro- 
fessing to deal with things here and hereafter even so prom- 
inent a leader as A. J. Davis terms it merely a philosophy. 
And from all the evidence introduced it must be admitted 
that the "Philosophy of Spiritualism" is far from being phil- 
osophical ; on the contrary, it is weak, defective and decep- 
tive. 

Spiritualism teaches that physical death is simply the 
birth of the spirit into a new and higher and more refined 
state of existence and that there it enters upon a life of end- 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 281 

less spiritual progression, therefore to the spiritualist there 
is nothing beyond spirit-life. For this reason they teach 
that we should not mourn the death of our loved ones, but 
rather rejoice at their birth into this higher state of exist- 
ence. On this subject Mr. Davis says : 

"The excessive weeping and lamentation of friends and 
relatives, over the external form of one departed, are mainly 
caused by the sensuous and superficial mode by which the 
majority of mankind view the phenomenon of death. For, 
with but few exceptions, the race is so conditioned and edu- 
cated on the earth — not yet having grown into spiritual per- 
ception — not yet progressed to where 'whatever is hid shall 
be revealed' — realizing only through the medium of the nat- 
ural senses, the nearness of the beloved — watching and com- 
prehending only the external signs and processes of physical 
dissolution — supposing this contortion toi indicate pain, and 
that expression to indicate anguish — I say, the race is so sit- 
uated and educated, that death of the body (to the majority 
of the earth's inhabitants) is equivalent to an annihilation of 
the personality of the individual. But I would comfort the 
superficial observer, and I can solemnly assure the in- 
quirer after truth, that, when an individual dies naturally 
the spirit experiences no pain ; nor should the material body 
be dissolved with disease, or crushed by the fearful ava- 
lanche, is the individuality of the spirit deformed, or in the 
least degree obscured. Could you but turn your natural 
gaze from the lifeless body, which can no longer answer to 
your look of love ; and could your spiritual eyes be opened ; 
you would behold — standing in your midst — a form, the 
same, but more beautiful and living! Jience, there is great 



282 THE REALITY AND 

cause to rejoice at the birth of the spirit from this world into 
the Inner Sphere of Life — yea, it is far more reasonable and 
appropriate to weep at the majority of marriages which oc- 
cur in this world, than to lament when man's immortal spirit 
escapes from its earthly form, to live and unfold in a higher 
and better country ! You may clothe yourself with the dark 
habiliments of woe, when you consign at the altar a heart to 
a living grave; or when you chain the soul to breathe in 
an uncongenial atmosphere; but robe yourselves with gar- 
ments of light to honor the spirit's birth into a higher 
life. * * * 

"In conclusion, I desire to impress the reader that there 
is nothing to fear, but much to love, in a purely natural or 
non-accidental death. It is the fair stranger who conducts 
the immortal soul to more glorious scenes and harmonious 
societies. Let mankind never lament because of the mere 
departure of an individual from our earth; for the change 
though cold and cheerless to the material senses, is, to the in- 
terior vision, and to the ascending spirit, bathed in auroral 
splendor! To the enlightened mind 'there is no more 
death;' 'nor sorrow, nor crying;' to those who live in con- 
stant conjunction with Eternal Truth. 

"Let tranquility reign throughout the chambers of the 
dying; but, when the body is cold, and when the immortal 
soul is gone, then. calmly rejoice, and sweetly sing, and be 
exceeding glad ; for when a body dies on earth, a soul is born 
in heaven. 

"You may rest upon the strong foundations of truth; 
may strive to learn how to live peacefully and purely on 
earth ; may enrich and adorn the inner spirit with gems of 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 283 

scientific and philosophic knowledge; may wreathe every 
thought with the sweet flowers of virtue; may robe every 
impulse with the mantle of contentment ; for there is nothing 
lost by the putting off of mortality, and leaving the material 
and evanescent things of this world, to pursue life's journey 
amid immortal beauties in the Spirit Land." (The Great 
Harmonia, Vol. I., pp. 170, 171, 188, 189, 190.) 

Their misconceptions of the intermediate state deceives 
spiritualists into the belief that they have nothing to fear, 
no future pain or death awaits them, but, that in the World 
of Spirits, the spirits already ushered into eternity, have 
only "to pursue life's journey amid immortal beauties in the 
Spirit Land." 

Recognizing no distinction between the mind or spirit 
and the soul, they deceive themselves into the belief that the 
spirit or mind is immortal and that spirit-land is eternal. 
This leads to the further error of believing that at death the 
spirit or mind at once receives its final reward ; that there is 
no arraignment before God "who will render to every man 
according to his deeds;" that there is no spirit death which 
the soul will survive; no final judgment in which the soul 
will be rewarded with eternal life, or consigned to eternal 
death. It is this teaching so utterly opposed to the facts 
that renders spiritualism so dangerous, so degrading and so 
deceptive. 

We agree with the spiritualists that the mind or spirit 
survives the death of the body ; we also agree with them that 
death makes no change in the individual. In discussing 
this subject, Moses Hull says : "Death makes man no better, 
no worse; each one finds himself, morally and spiritually, on 



2S4 THE REALITY AND 

the other side of its stream, where he left himself here. He 
opens his books where he closed them, commences living 
where he quit, finds himself surrounded with all the dark- 
ness and all the light in the summer-land that he has earned 
by his life here/' (Two in One, p. .46.) This leads to the 
inevitable conclusion that, what a man is in this life he is in 
spirit-land. Only with this difference in this life he de- 
ceives himself and others, sometimes intentionally, some- 
times unintentionally ; for example : persons sometimes im- 
agine that they believe in the Bible, when, in reality, they are 
evolutionists ; in that case in spirit-land those persons would 
be evolutionists no matter what or how much religion they 
professed in this life; and it would make no difference 
whether the deception was intentional or otherwise the re- 
sults would be the same ; the departed spirits or minds would 
appear what they are in reality and not what they wished or 
seemed to be. And again the disposition undergoes no 
change; if individuals were serious and studious here, they are 
serious and studious there; if they were frivolous and jocu- 
lar here, they are frivolous and jocular there; if they were 
unreliable and inclined to take advantage of and deceive 
mankind here, they are unreliable there; if they were vicious 
here, they are vicious there ; if they were amiable here, they 
are amiable there. Whatever mental or moral characters 
they possess here, they carry with them into spirit-land and 
retain until the end of time. Their prejudices for or against 
certain individuals here survive there; that departed spirits 
retain their mental and moral qualities which characterized 
them here, and even their sentiments towards certain indi- 
viduals is clearlv demonstrated in the case of Samuel, who, 






EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 285 

upon being called up by the woman of Endor, at the request 
of Saul, at once showed his ill will and manifested the same 
resentment towards him that he entertained in this life and 
immediately renewed his controversy with Saul. (1 Samuel 
xxviii.) 

The conflict of opinions existing among spirits them- 
selves explains the contradictory statements given out by the 
various mediums. Mediums under the control of departed 
spirits or minds practically lose their individuality and gen- 
erally express the sentiments of the spirits controlling them 
at the time. For example, if a medium is controlled by a 
spirit who in this life was an ardent advocate of the nebular 
theory, that medium would explain and advocate the nebular 
hypothesis, even though in his normal state he knew nothing 
about it. 

Our full acceptance of the teachings of the Bible compel 
us to recognize the reality of Spiritualism. This is as clear- 
ly taught in the scriptures as is the existence of God or the 
divinity of the Savior. It is inextricably interwoven in the 
scriptural narrative from Genesis to Revelation. The case 
of Samuel above referred to and other incidents in the Old 
Testament may be cited, while the New Testament abounds 
in spiritual manifestations. The Savior's recognition and 
control of spirits enters so largely into His history that 
modern spiritualists regard Him simply as a great me-, 
dium. But it is significant that in all the Savior's deal- 
ings with spirits, whether casting out devils, that is, re- 
lieving people from spirit control, or in raising the dead, He 
never once appealed to the spirits for aid, but always relied 
upon the assistance of His Heavenly Father. "I can of 



286 THE REALITY AND 

mine own self do nothing." (St. John v., 30.) Spiritual- 
ists, on the contrary, cast out spirits by the aid of spirits and 
recognize no higher power. The Savior's views concern- 
ing the spirits and their power are diametrically opposite to 
those of the spiritualists and He pursued an entirely different 
course in dealing with them. 

While the Bible recognizes spiritualism as a reality it 
also recognizes its deceptiveness, its demoralizing, degrad- 
ing influences and treats it as a great evil. This is clearly 
shown by the fact that spiritualism and its practices were 
forbidden in Israel and is given as one of the reasons for 
God's destruction of the nations which preceded them in 
Canaan, as shown by the following : 

"There shall not be found among you any one that 
maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or 
that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an en- 
chanter, or a witch. 

"Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a 
wizard, or a necromancer. 

"For all that do these things are an abomination unto the 
Lord ; and because of these abominations the Lord thy God 
doth drive them out from before thee. 

"Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God. 

"For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened 
unto observers of times, and unto diviners ; but as for thee, 
The Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so to do." (Deut. 
xviii., 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.) 

Further evidence of God's utter abhorrance of a medium 
or one having a "familiar spirit" is shown by the fact that 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 287 

the penalty of death was visited upon them under God's 
law to Israel : "A man also or woman that hath a familiar 
spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death ; they 
shall stone them with stones; their blood shall be upon 
them." (Lev. xx., 27.) And even those who sought the 
aid of mediums were punished with death : "And the soul 
that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after 
wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face 
against that soul, and will cut him off from among his peo- 
ple." (Lev. xx., 6.) It was in the execution of this law 
that Saul, the first king of Israel, "put away those that had 
familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land." (1 Sam. 
xxviii., 3.) And it was to this that the woman of Endor 
referred when she said : "Behold, thou knowest what Saul 
hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spir- 
its, and the wizards, out of the land ; wherefore, layest 
thou a snare for my life, to cause me to> die." (1 Sam. 
xxviii., 9; see 2 King xxi., 6, xxiii., 24, etc.) 

In order that Israel should have no excuse for invoking 
ing the aid of spirits God promised them a prophet like unto 
Moses : "The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a 
prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto 
me; unto him ye shall harken." (Deut. xviii., 15.) 

This array of evidence plainly shows the deceptiveness, 
worthlessness and criminality of spiritualism and God's ut- 
ter detestation of spiritualists. This, perhaps, more than 
anything else, explains why spiritualists deny the existence 
of a personal God, repudiate the Bible with its doctrine of 
Divine Creation and base their so-called philosophy on ma- 
terialism. 



288 THE REALITY AND 

From all the facts presented it is plain that the Catholic, 
the Protestant and the Spiritualist should each renounce his 
errors and unite on some common ground, and the Bible fur- 
nishes the only ground. This will lead to a recognition of 
God the Creator, the inspiration of the scriptures; the ex- 
istence of an intermediate state where the spirit or mind will, 
after physical death, live until the end of time; the final 
death of the spirit or mind when the soul will be released 
from its mental body to appear at the final judgment, to re- 
ceive its reward of eternal life or eternal death. 

Further evidence that the spiritualists are simply dealing 
with the mind or spirit, and not the soul is shown by the fact 
that the mind or spirit of the animal, like that of the man, 
survives physical dissolution and finds its abode in spirit- 
land, as shown by the following: 

"Here there was a clump of trees, entwining their tan- 
gled arms together over the deep shade that rested below, 
and there a single tree or two, beneath whose shelter ani- 
mals were seen, giving life at once and repose to the scene. 
And, in fine, as the light of the morning increased, it opened 
to my view a lovely landscape, gently undulating and diver- 
sified by land and water, and field and forest. Many ani- 
mals were seen moving about, or reposing quietly, playing 
wildly, or grazing or slumbering. Birds in great numbers, 
and with every variety of song and plumage, were flying 
across the scene in all directions, some just skimming the 
surface of the water, and others soaring aloft, up, up, until 
their melody seemed mingled with the distance. (Edmonds, 
Spiritualism, p. 249.) 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 289 

And if the animal possessed articulate speech or we un- 
derstood its language we could communicate with the spirit 
or mind of the animal as easily as that of the man. This be- 
ing true, it follows that a talking animal would make as good 
a medium as a person. 

In discussing the relations of matter and mind, Mr. Hud- 
son Tuttle says : "I here freely admit that the material is 
wanting to bridge the existing gulf between matter and 
spirit; but it must be borne in mind how brief has been the 
period since investigation has been intelligently directed to 
this subject, and also the great difficulties in the way." 
(The Ethics of Spiritualism, p. 35.) It will be observed 
that Mr. Tuttle, unlike most spiritualistis writers, admits that 
there is a gulf between mater and spirit or mind, and that he 
also admits that the material is wanting to "bridge the ex- 
isting gulf." But he would have us believe that the absence 
of the needed "material" or information is due to the brief 
"period since investigation has been intelligently directed to 
this subject, and also the great difficulties in the way." As 
a matter of fact, the most systematic investigation has been 
directed towards this subject for thousands of years, so that 
our ignorance of the relations existing between matter and 
spirit or mind cannot be fairly attributed to the "brief 
period" in which attention has been directed to it. The woe- 
ful ignorance upon this important subject is due solely to the 
rejection of the teaching of the scriptures that matter and 
mind or spirit are distinct substances, between which there 
is a gulf that no material can bridge ; and though combined 
in an organism they each retain their distinctive characteris- 
tics and may exist independent of each other. 



290 THE REALITY AND 

In referring to the growth and spread of spiritualism, 
Moses Hull says : 

"Twenty-two years ago it was nothing — not a book ex- 
cept the Bible written in its behalf, and that was regarded 
more as a dead letter than anything else; not a press to ad- 
vocate its claims ; not a lecturer in the field ; not a medium in 
the country ; not a believer in the world. At that time one 
figure, and that a cipher, told all there was of Spiritualism. 
Not a quarter of a century since it commenced, amid the 
most determined opposition, has waded through it, and 
marched steadily on until now its mediums are counted by 
thousands, and it would require a column and a half of 
"The New York Ledger," set in agate type, to hold the 
names and postoffice addresses of its public lecturers." 
{Two in One, p. 203.) In his handling of this subject Mr. 
Hull's astounding statements would lead us to infer that 
Spiritualism is a thing of recent origin, dating back but little 
more than half a century. At the same time he tells us that 
the Bible, the latest book of which was written nearly twen- 
ty centuries ago, was the only work in print in its favor, 
when he must have known that India abounded in spiritual- 
istic literature older than the Bible. He tells us' that there 
was not "a lecturer in the field" when India numbered its 
public lecturers by the thousands ; that there was not "a be- 
liever in the world," when India, to say nothing of other 
countries, numbered its believers by the tens of millions, the 
whole population are spiritualists ; it is practically their only 
religion. Such sweeping statements from the most obscure 
spiritualist would provoke surprise, but when made by one 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 291 

of their most talented and accomplished leaders is simply 
amazing. 

Granting all that the occidental, mediums claim for them- 
selves, even then they do not understand the fundamental 
principles of mediumship compared with the adepts of the 
Orient. In support of our position, we quote Mr. Hudson, 
who says : 

"The Oriental adepts claim they have learned much more 
of the laws of nature than is dreamed of in Occidental phil- 
osophy. Doubtless they have, if half the stories we hear of 
them are true. They have learned to> produce phenomena 
which far transcends anything done by our spirit mediums. 
Moreover, they have learned the true source of the power - 
and they do not ascribe it to spirits of the dead. Said one 
of them, in my hearing : "I have often been asked the ques- 
tion, 'What is an adept?' An adept is a spirit medium who 
knows that the power to produce his phenomena resides 
within himself, and who possesses the intelligence and pow- 
er to control and direct it." (The Law of Psychic Phe- 
nomena, p. 261.) 

Mr. Hudson doubtless mistook the meaning of this 
adept ; if he was a Brahmin and had been closely questioned 
he would have said : "Every thing that exists is in the power 
of the gods. The gods are in the. power of magical con- 
jurations. Magical conjurations are in the power of the 
Brahmins. Therefore the gods are in the power of the 
Brahmins." (Jacolliot, Occult Science in India, p. 24.) 
Further evidence that the adepts do rely on spirit aid is 
shown by the following: "We use the modern term spirit- 



292 THE REALITY AND 

ualism to designate the Hindoo belief in the Pitris, for the 
reason that no other word exists in our language which suf- 
ficiently characterizes it. 

"The belief in the Pitris is a positive belief in spirits as 
manifesting themselves to and directing men. * * * 

"The spirits with whom they communicate are the 
shades of holy personages who have quit the world after 
leading a life of privation, good works, and virtuous exam- 
ple; they are the objects of a regular worship, and are in- 
voked as the spiritual directors of their brethren, who are 
still bound by the ties of their earthly existence. * * * 

"Those Pitris which have not passed the degree immedi- 
ately above that of man are the only spirits which are in 
communication with the latter. They are regarded as the 
ancestors of the human race and its natural directors from 
whom it derives its inspiration. They are themselves in- 
spired by the spirits of the next degree above them, and so 
on, from one degree to another, until the divine word, or, in 
other terms, until revelation is imparted to man." (Ibid 
94, 112, 128.) In the face of the above facts the statement 
of Mr. Hudson that the adepts of India do not rely upon 
spirit power is as ridiculous as that of Mr. Hull's that 
"twenty-two years ago there was not a believer (in spirit- 
ualism) in the world." 

So-called modern spiritualism has no instructors, no 
schools of training, no ceremonies of initiation, no forms of 
evocation, in short, no systematic method of selecting and 
developing their mediums. They are discovered by mere 
chance, and consequently their powers are wholly natural 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 293 

and not in the least the result of cultivation. The result is 
that their accomplishments are very limited and their success 
by no means certain. While there are many who recognize 
the reality of their phenomena they are not agreed as to 
whether it is the result of spirit influence or mental telep- 
athy. So that modern spiritualism cannot properly be re- 
garded either as religion, a philosophy or a science. 

In striking contrast to this, spiritualism in India has its 
schools of learning, in which the results of thousands of 
years of observation and investigation are taught. They 
have three degrees of initiation; the first degree is taken 
after a novitiate of about ten years ; it then requires twenty 
years of training in order to enter the second degree, and 
twenty years more before they enter the third and last 
degree. During these years they are subjected to the severest 
discipline and only a few have the necessary qualifications 
and are initiated into these higher degrees. By this means 
spiritualism in India has been reduced almost to a science. 

Jacolliot, who, during his long residence in the French 
East Indies and Oceanica, obtained from the Brahmins and 
their literature a considerable knowledge on this subject, 
says : 

"Manu, the legislator, who sprang from the Temples of 
India, attributes to the Brahmins a Divine origin. 

"For the propagation of the human race, from his 
mouth, from his arm, from his thigh, from his foot, the Sov- 
ereign Master produced the Brahmin, priest — the Xchatrya, 
king — the Vaysia, merchant — the Soudra, slave. 

"By his origin, which he derives from the most noble 



294 THE REALITY AND 

member, because he was the first born, because he possesses 
the Holy Scriptures, the Brahmin is, by right, the Lord of 
all creation. 

"Everything that the world contains is the Brahmin's 
property ; by his primogeniture and his eminent birth he is 
entitled to everything that exists. 

"The Brahmin eats nothing that does not belong to him, 
receives no garment that is not already his, and bestows no 
alms from the property of others that does not also belong 
to him. It is through the Brahmin's generosity that other 
men enjoy the goods of this world. (Manu, book i.) 

"This is the original source of the doctrine of divine 
right. 

"For several thousand years the Brahmins (priests) 
ruled over India without dispute. The kings, or, as we 
might rather say, the chiefs, were only their agents. The 
mass of the people, like a flock of sheep, maintained the up- 
per classes in luxury and idleness by their labor. 

"In the temples, which were vast sacerdotal storehouses 
filled with the treasures accumulated by the toil of the labor- 
ing classes, the priests appeared before the eyes of the as- 
sembled multitude clad in gorgeous vestments. Kneeling 
before idols of wood, granite or bronze of their own con- 
trivance, they set an example of the most absurd supersti- 
tion. Their principal motive in the performance of their re- 
ligious duties was the maintenance of their temporal su- 
premacy, and when the sacrifices were over, the Vaysia and 
Soudra returned to their tasks, the chiefs to their pleasures, 
and the priests to their mysterious abodes, where they en- 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 295 

gaged in the study of the sciences and of the highest philo- 
sophical and religious speculations. 

"The hour came when the Xchatrias, or kings, made use 
of the people to throw off the theocratic yoke, but when 
they had conquered the priests, and assumed the title' of 
Lords of Creation, they abandoned their late allies and said 
to the Brahmins : 

" 'Preach to the people the doctrine that we are the elect 
of God, and we will give you all the wealth and privileges 
you desire.' 

"That was the basis of their agreement, and for twenty 
thousand years and more the Soudra, the servumpecus, the 
people, have never been able to break it up. 

"Reduced to a purely religious role, the Brahmins used 
all their power to keep the multitude in ignorance and sub- 
serviency. Mistrustful lest some members of their order 
more ambitious than the rest might, one day or other, seek 
to further their own ends by stirring up the lower classes to 
revolt, they placed the secret of their religious belief, of their 
principles, of their sciences, under the shield of an initiatory 
ceremony, to the highest grade of which those only were ad- 
mitted who had completed a novitiate of forty years of pas- 
sive initiation. 

"There were three degrees of initiation. 

"The first included all the Brahmins of the popular cult, 
or those who officiated at the pagodas, whose business it was 
to work upon the credulity of the multitude. They were 
taught to comment upon the three first books of the Vedas, 



296 



THE REALITY AND 



to direct the religious ceremonies, and to perform sacrifices. 
The Brahmins of the first degree were in constant communi- 
cation with the people. They were its immediate directors, 
its gurus. 

"The second degree included the exorcists, the soothsay- 
ers, the prophets, and the evocators of spirits, whose busi- 
ness it was, in times of difficulty, to act upon the imagina- 
tion of the masses, through supernatural phenomena. They 
read and commented upon the Atharva-Veda, which was a 
collection of magical conjurations. 

"In the third degree the Brahmins had no direct rela- 
tions with the populace, the study of all the physical and su- 
pernatural forces of the universe being their only occupation. 
They never appeared outside except through awe-inspiring 
phenomena, which spectators were not allowed to scrutinize 
too closely. * * * 

"It was impossible to arrive at the highest degree with- 
out having passed through the first two, where a process of 
weeding, as it were, was constantly going on, having regard 
to the ability and intelligence of the candidates. 

"It would have been impossible to conceive of a more af- 
fective instrument of social conservatism, and our modern 
doctrinaires may well regard it with a jealous eye. 

"Those who were too intelligent, or who were not suffi- 
ciently amenable to discipline, owing to their inflexibility of 
character, were soon lost amid the crowd of bigots and fa- 
natics of the first degree, who were as submissive and free 
from ambition as could possibly be desired. The lower clergy, 
if we may be allowed to use the expression, were not much 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 297 

above the level of the rest of the Hindoo people, whose su- 
perstitions they shared, and whom they taught, perhaps, 
honestly. Absorbed in the ordinary observances of relig- 
ious worship, that independence of mind which usually ac- 
companies knowledge was not to be apprehended from 
them. It was not until twenty years had elapsed that promo- 
tion was possible from the first to the second degree, where 
the veil of the occult sciences first began to be uplifted, and 
the same period of time was necessary in order to surmount 
the mysterious barriers of the third degree. That class of 
initiates studied the Agronchada — Parikchai, or the Book of 
Spirits. 

"Above this last degree of initiation was the Supreme 
Council, under the presidency o<f the Brahmatma, or su- 
preme chief of all those who had been initiated. 

"Only a Brahmin who had passed his eightieth year 
could exercise this pontificate. He was the sole keeper of 
the elevated formula, which included a summary of all 
knowledge, and was contained in the three mystic letters — • 
A. U. M. — signifying Creation, Preservation, Transforma- 
tion. He commented upon them only in the presence of the 
initiate. 

"Residing in an immense palace, surrounded by twenty- 
one walls, the Brahmatma showed himself to the multitude 
only once a year, encompassed with such pomp and pageant- 
ry that his appearance impressed the imagination of all who 
saw him as though they had been in the presence of a God. 

"The common people thought that he was immortal. 

"In fact, in order to maintain this belief in the minds of 
the masses, the death of the Brahmatma and the election of 



298 THE REALITY AND 

his successor were kept profoundly secret, and were never 
known by them. Everything occurred in the silence of the 
temples, and those who had been initiated in the third de- 
gree alone took part in his election. Only those who were 
members of the Supreme Council were eligible. 

; 'Whoever among those who have been initiated into the 
third degree shall reveal to a profane person a single one of 
the truths, a single one of the secrets entrusted to his keep- 
ing, shall be put to death.' The recipient of the revelation 
met a similar fate. 

"Finally, to crown the whole system, there existed a 
higher word than the mysterious monosyllable A. U. M. — 
which made him who possessed the clew to it, almost equal 
to Brahma himself. The Brahmatma alone possessed it and 
transmitted it to his successor in a sealed box. 

"Even now, when the Brahminic authority has sunk so 
low before Mongol and European invasion ; when every pa- 
goda has its Brahmatma; this unknown word has been re- 
vealed to no human power, and has been kept a profound 
secret. It was engraved in a golden triangle and carefully 
kept in a sanctuary of the Temple of Asgartha, of which the 
Brahmatma alone had the keys. For this reason, also, he 
wore, upon his tiara, two crossed keys upheld by two kneel- 
ing Brahmins, as a sign of the precious deposit which had 
been entrusted to his care. 

"This word and triangle were also engraved upon the 
gem of the ring, which this religious chief wore as a sign of 
his dignity. It was also set in a golden sun, which stood 
upon the altar upon which the supreme pontiff offered every 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 299 

morning the sacrifice of the Sarvameda or sacrifice to all the 
forces of nature. 

"At the death of the Brahmatma, his body was burned 
upon a golden tripod and his ashes secretly thrown into the 
Ganges. If, in spite of every precaution, a report of his 
death was bruited abroad, the priests adroitly spread abroad 
the rumor that the supreme chief had ascended for a time to 
Swarga (heaven) in the smoke of the sacrifice, but would 
soon return to the earth. 

"Numerous revolutions have so thoroughly disturbed the 
social and religious condition of India, that Brahminism no 
longer possesses any supreme chief. Each pagoda has its 
three degrees of initiation, and its own private Brahmatma. 
The chiefs of these temples are often at open hostility with 
each other. However, this does not seem to have affected 
their religious belief, as yet, and we shall see, as we study 
the methods in use in the three different classes of initiation, 
that the Hindu Brahmins still cling to their old religious pre- 
scriptions." (Occult Science in India, pp. 21, 22, 23, 24, 
25, 26.) 

The son of a Brahmin remains in the hands of the wom- 
en until he is nine years of age, when he enters upon his no- 
vitiate. After many ceremonies and ablutions the "Brah- 
matchary," as he is termed, "then receives the triple cord of 
the novitiate." Other ceremonies and ablutions follow, when 
"the Pourohita then advances to his side and by the imposi- 
tion of hands, removes his ignorance and qualifies him for 
the study of the sciences, which will now occupy every mo- 
ment of his time. He should then gird about his waist a 



300 THE REALITY AND 

triple girdle, woven from the sacred grass of the Darba." 
{Ibid, pp. 39, 40.) 

He is then placed in the hands of a Guru, or master of the 
sacred sciences, who must be more than 60 years of age. 
The novice must give his Guru no trouble and revere him 
as a father and a mother. The Guru then takes his pupil 
aside and says to him : " 'Always bear in mind that what 
you will now learn should never be revealed to the vulgar 
herd, and that you will never arrive at the end of your initia- 
tion if you 'are unable to hide the secret of things in the 
deepest recesses of your heart.' * * * 

"Having uttered these words, the Guru for the first 
time calls the young Brahmatchary, Douidja, which means 
twice born. The first birth is merely the advent into ma- 
terial life, the second birth is the entrance to a spiritual 
life. * * * 

"This ceremony of the Oupanayana or investiture of 
the sacred girdle, which makes a man of the boy, the Pitris, 
or spirits, and the ancestral shades take the most prominent 
part. They are evoked by a Pourohita, they are present 
during the whole festival, and they almost exclusively re- 
ceive the sacrifice, oblations, and firstlings of all the dishes 
prepared for the repast which terminates the mysterious cele- 
brations of each particular day. * * * 

• "The Brahmatchary continues his studies as a novice 
until the time of his marriage, which takes place about the 
sixteenth or eighteenth year of his age. During this period 
he lives with his Guru or director, and engages in the study 
of the sacred books, and of the mathematical and astronom- 
ical sciences. 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 301 

"He is not yet admitted to the study of the occult sci- 
ences, whose first principles he will only begin to learn 
when he has reached the degree of Grihasta, or head of a 
family, or of Pourohita, or officiating priest. * * * 

"After his marriage, the Brahmatchary left the class of 
neophytes, but he did not, however, enter that of the Grihas- 
tas, or heads of family, who had been admitted to the first 
degree of initiation. In order to do so, it was requisite, 
first, that he should have paid his ancestors' debt by the 
birth of a son, .who would perpetuate their race; second, 
that he should be deemed worthy, upon the report of his 
Guru of taking this step. 

"Upon admission he might remain a simple Grihasta, 
or he might be attached to the service of a pagoda, in the 
capacity of a Pourohita; in either case, he was now a mem- 
ber of the great sacerdotal family, and during twenty years 
all the acts of his daily life would be instrumental in the 
preparation, both mentally and physically, by meditation, 
prayers, sacrifices, ablutions, and the strictest attention to 
personal cleanliness, for the superior transformation which 
was now the object of all his efforts." (Ibid., pp. 40, 41, 
42, 45.) 

"Having spent twenty years of his life after receiving 
the first degree of initiation, during which the body is morti- 
fied by fasting and privations of every kind, and the intellect 
is trained and disciplined by means of prayers, invocations, 
and sacrifices, the candidate finally takes his place in one of 
the three following categories: 

"Grihasta — he remains at the head of his family until his 
death, and attends to his social duties and business, what- 



302 THE REALITY AND 

ever it may be. Of all that he has been taught he only re- 
tains the power to evoke the domestic spirits, or in other 
words, those in the same genealogical line as himself, with 
whom it is lawful for him to communicate within the sanc- 
tuary, which it is his duty to reserve for them in his house. 

"Pourohita — he becomes a priest attached to the popu- 
lar cult and takes part in all ceremonies and family festi- 
vals, both in temples and private dwellings. Phenomena 
of possession come exclusively within his province : he is the 
grand exorcist of the pagodas. 

"Fakir — he becomes a performing Fakir, and from this 
moment forward all his time is employed in the manifesta- 
tion of occult power by means of the public exhibition of 
exterior phenomena. 

"Neither Grihastas, Pourohitas, nor Fakirs are ever 
admitted to the second degree of initiation. Their studies 
are ended, and with the exception of the Fakirs, who are 
constantly in communication with those who have been ini- 
tiated with the higher degrees, in order to augment their 
magnetic and spiritual power, they take no part in the mys- 
tic instruction, which is given in the temples. 

"Only a few among those who have distinguished them- 
selves in their studies for the first degree are able to pass 
through the terrible ordeal of the higher initiation or arrive 
at the dignity of a Sannyassi or Cenobite. 

"The Sannyassi lives exclusively in the temple, and he 
is only expected to appear at remote intervals, on solemn 
occasions, in rases where it is important to impress the popu- 
lar imagination by a superior class of phenomena. 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 303 

"The Agrouchada-Parikchai is silent as to the course of 
training they have to undergo. The formulas of prayer and 
evocation were never committed to writing, but were taught 
orally, in the underground crypts of the pagodas. 

"We are able, therefore, to prosecute our investigations 
into the subject of the second degree of initiation only by 
studying the phenomena produced by the Sannyassi, a list 
of which we find in the second book of the Agrouchada. 

"It is not until he has spent a further period of twenty 
years in the study of the occult sciences and manifestations 
that the Sannyassi becomes a Sannyassi-Nirvany or Naked 
Cenobite, so called, because he was not to wear any gar- 
ments whatever, thus indicating that he had broken the last 
tie that bound him to the earth. We are limited to such 
means of information as are obtainable by the uninitiated. 
The book of the Pitris, or spirits, which is our guide in this 
inquiry, contains no explanation with regard to the mys- 
terious occupations in which the Sannyassis-Nirvanys, who 
have been initiated in the third degree, engage. * * * 

"We can only study the subject of the highest initiation 
in its philosophical teachings regarding God and man. The 
phenomena performed by the Nirvanys are not described in 
the book of Pitris. 

"We have not been able to glean much from private 
conversations with Pourohitas, with regard to the actions 
of their superiors. It seems that they live in a constant 
state of ecstatic contemplation, depriving themselves of 
sleep as far as possible, and taking food only once a week, 
after sunset. 



304 THE REALITY AND 

"They are never visible either in the grounds or inside the 
temples, except on the occasion of the grand festival of fire, 
which occurs every five years. On that day they appear at 
midnight upon a stand erected in the centre of the sacred 
tank. They appear like spectres, and the surrounding at- 
mosphere is illuminated by them by means of their incan- 
tations. They seem to be in the midst of a column of light 
rising from earth to heaven. 

"The air is filled with strange sounds, and the five or 
six hundred thousand Hindus who have come from all parts 
of India to see these demi-gods, as they are esteemed, pros- 
trate themselves flat in the dust, calling upon the souls of 
their ancestors. * * * 

"I have not much to add to what I have already said 
about the Brahmatma. 

"The requisite qualifications for the position were that 
the candidate should have been initiated, that he should 
have taken the vow of chastity, and that he should be a 
member of the Supreme Council. 

"That this vow w r as a serious matter, will be readily un- 
derstood when it is known that any Brahmin taking it in 
the commencement of his career must necessarily persevere 
until he arrives at the dignity of Yoguy, unless he wishes 
to repeat upon earth a series of transformations. Not having 
paid the debt of his ancestors, by the birth of a son, who can 
continue his genealogical line and officiate at his funeral, 
he would be obliged to come back after death, under a new 
human envelope, to accomplish that final duty. 

"The Yoguys, or members of the Council of Seventy, 
by reason of their high degree of sancity, had no new trans- 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 305 

migrations to undergo: it was a matter of indifference 
whether they had been heads of families or whether they 
had always maintained their chastity. But in view of the 
small number admitted into this sanhedrim, if we may so 
call it, the Brahmin who should pronounce this terrible vow, 
as it is termed in the book of the Pitris, at the close of his 
novitiate, was in danger of having to go through a succes- 
sion of new lives, from the first monad, by which the smallest 
particle of moss is animated, to man, who is, so far, the 
most perfect expression of the vital form. 

"While the Brahmatma could only be chosen from 
among those Yoguys who had taken the vow of chastity, his 
election was not due to any supposed degree of sancity on 
his part resulting therefrom, for he had hardly been elected, 
when, notwithstanding his advanced age of eighty years, in 
order that his election might be held valid, he had to fur- 
nish evidence of his virile power in connection with one of 
the virgins of the Pagoda, who was given him as a bride. 

"If a male child sprang from this union he was placed 
in a wicker basket, and turned adrift upon the river to float 
with the current. If perchance he was washed ashore, he 
was carried to the temple, where he was at once, and by 
virtue of that very fact, regarded as having been initiated 
into the third degree. From his earliest childhood, all the 
secret mentrams, or formulas of evocation, were made 
known to him. 

"If, however, the child floated down the stream with the 
current, he was rejected as a Pariah, and handed over to the 
people of that caste to be reared by them. * * * 



306 THE REALITY AND 

"When in his eightieth year, in consequence of his su- 
perior sancity, or for some other reason, he has been chosen 
by the Council for the post of Brahmatma, he goes back 
again, so to speak, to life, and spends his last years in the 
most unbridled indulgence and dissipation. We have often 
heard the Brahmins say, though we have had no opportunity 
to verify their statements, that, in consequence of their long 
practice of asceticism, the Yoguys often preserved all the 
virile powers of mature age until far advanced in life, and 
it was no unusual thing for Brahmatmas to live much more 
than a hundred years, and leave behind them a numerous 
progeny." (Ibid., pp. 69, 70, 71, 72, 78, 79, 84.) 

Thus it is shown that the purpose of the Brahma in 
having his child initiated into the mysteries of Spiritualism, 
was that he might, through the most terrible penalties and 
sacrifices continued through the greater portion of his life, 
would finally reach the highest degree of spiritual perfec- 
tion and attain the lofty position of Brahmatma. And this, 
too, with the full knowledge that after he had attained that 
position he would descend to a life of debauchery, in which 
he would end his days. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

Manifestations. 

We present the following phenomena, obtained under 
what is called "test" conditions as evidence of the reality of 
spirit manifestations. Through the efforts of Professor 
James, of Harvard University, the attention of the Society 
for Psychical Research was called to Mrs. Piper : "The 
first task of the society was to eliminate the possibility of 
fraud. The phenomena was such that only what is known 
as the 'detective system of fraud' was possible, inasmuch as 
slate-writing and cabinet performances did not enter into 
the case. This detective system consists in collecting in- 
formation about sitters in various ways and palming it off 
as spiritistic. The first step made in the investigation of 
this aspect of the problem was to shadow Mrs. Piper with 
detectives to ascertain whether she either employed persons 
or collected information herself in this manner. It was 
found that she employed no such means for this end, so far 
as could be ascertained. But to settle this matter more ef- 
fectively, Mrs. Piper was taken to England, under the au- 
spices of the society, where she had never been before, and 
where she was not allowed to have any servants except such 
as were furnished by the persons under whose care she was. 
Her trunks were examined to see whether she had any of 

,307 



308 THE REALITY AND 

the usual apparatus for collecting information, and all her 
correspondence had first to pass through the hands of and 
be read by the parties with whom she was staying, before 
Mrs. Piper herself could receive it. Arrangements for 
sittings were not made directly with Mrs. Piper. She was 
simply under a general contract to sit for the society and its 
members at their pleasure. The persons who were to have 
sittings were entire strangers to Mrs. Piper, the arrange- 
ments being made under either a false name or noi name at 
all, and the person introduced to her, when he arrived, under 
either a false name or none at all. All these precautions 
did not in the least diminish the quality of the material ob- 
tained at the sittings, as it should have done in the case of 
fraud. The general conclusion of the experimenters was 
that no theory which did not at least go as far as telepathy 
could adequately explain the phenomena obtained. * * * 
"In a long series of experiments, Professor Oliver Lodge, 
•of Liverpool, obtained many incidents from alleged friends 
"'on the other side.' * * * The full names of certain 
dead relatives, with characteristic incidents in their lives, 
were given, and that was wholly beyond normal acquisi- 
tion by Mrs. Piper. The verification of some instances had 
to be obtained by correspondence in different parts of the 
world. For instance, he put into the hands of the medium 
a locket containing the hair of a cousin Agnes. This name 
was soon given; the statement made that she had died of 
consumption, which was true; and mention made of a book 
connected with her and Professor Lodge, 'a little book with 
some verses in it/ which was also true; and also that the 
hair in the locket was hers, which was also true. The locket 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 30& 

had been closed all the while. This Agnes also mentioned 
that Professor Lodge had some letters of hers, and alluded 
to a friend of hers by the name of 'Lu,' both of which were 
true. In one of the sittings an uncle purported to communi- 
cate, and mentioned a snakeskin which he used to keep in a 
box. Dr. Lodge remembered nothing of this, nor did a 
brother recall it when written to regarding it. A second 
inquiry of another brother brought out the fact that it was 
true. * * * 

"An interesting experiment was tried, to see whether in- 
formation representing contemporary incidents in London 
could be had in Liverpool. Mr. Gronner with his sister was 
to have the mother do something unusual at a certain hour 
on a Saturday morning. The mother was not to know that 
it was a request of the brother, and the sister was to leave 
the house wdien the action was decided upon, and a stranger 
left with the mother to keep a record of her doings. The 
sister also was not to know what was to be done. The 
mother decided to take a drive in the park, this being con- 
sidered by her an unusual thing for her on a wet morning. 
At this hour Mrs. Piper was in a trance in Liverpool, and 
was asked to tell what Mr. Gonner's mother was doing. She 
succeeded in telling that Mrs. Gonner was 'going out;' that 
she did not wish to do this, but was urged to do it ; that she 
picked up a muff after coming out of her room; that she 
had some difficulty with her dress about her neck, and that 
she looked at a picture from her table. All of these were 
ascertained to be true, except the trouble with her dress about 
her neck, which was, however, quite probable, because she 
wore. a garment that was hard to fasten about the neck, and 



310 THE REALITY AND 

- it simply happened that the lady present to watch her had 
not seen this particular act. 

"I shall quote one sample of the sittings and record. 
It was with a Mr. Clarke : 

" 'I want to talk to you about your Uncle C. There is 
someone with him — E. He is your cousin. Well, he sends 
his love to you.' 'Is he in the body?' the sitter asked. 'No; 
he is in the spirit.' 'How did he die?' asked the sitter. 
'There was something the matter with his heart and his 
head. He says it was an accident. He wants me to tell 
you that it was accident. He wants you tell his sisters. 
There's M. and E. ; they are sisters of E. And there is 
their mother. She suffers here (pointing to abdomen). 
Now, how do you think I know this?' 'I don't know,' re- 
plied the sitter. 'E. told me. His mother has been very 
unhappy about his death. He begs you, for God's sake, to 
tell them it was an accident — that it was his head; that he 
was hurt there (makes motion of stabbing heart) ; that he 
had inherited it from his father. His father was off his 
mind. You know what I mean — crazy. But the others 
are all right, and will be. And he wants you to tell them 
that his body is dead, but that he is living. He and his 
father are just trying to take comfort in each other. They, 
are a little apart; they are not with the others in the 
spirit' * * * 

"The second report contains much more matter that 
represents the spiritistic view, but I will select only one 
instance of it — the experiment of a lady whom Dr. Hodgson, 
the secretary of the American branch of the society, reports 
as a careful and thorough observer. She had some forty 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 311 

or more sittings with Mrs. Piper, and one of the incidents in 
them was the following, given in her own account of it. The 
communication purported to come from an old friend of this 
lady's, he having died some years before. She says : 

"'I have received from T. (the friend mentioned), 
dictated through Mrs. Piper to her husband and sent me 
by post, seven letters at intervals from November 29, 1886, 
to January 22, 1889. Each contains some unintelligible 
matter, but each contains familiar allusions and the old-time 
opening and closing phrases, either of which is too long and 
individual to have been merely chanced upon. The post-office 
address of the first is worth mention. Mrs. Piper had 
learned from me neither name nor residence, nor had any 
other than my pet name, Nellie, been given at the sittings. 
On November 16, 1886, Dr. Phinuit (the 'control/ or sec- 
ondary personality of the medium, the alleged spirit acting 
as intermediary for the communicating 'spirit') told me that 
T. was dictating a letter to me. 'How will you address it?' 
I asked. 'T. knows your address, and will give it to the 
medium.' November 29, a friend who had been sitting with 
Mrs. Piper, brought me word that the promised letter had 
been mailed to 

" 'Miss Nellie Wilson, 

" 'Care David Wilson, 

" 'Reading, Massachusetts. 

" 'By applying at the post-office at Reading, I was able 
to obtain the letter. I alter the names, but these points may 
be noted : 

" '1. My surname is given correctly. 



312 



THE REALITY AND 



' '2. I have a cousin David Wilson, of whose relation- 
ship and friendship T. was well aware. His home, however, 
has always been in New York. 

" '3. Reading was my home during my childhood and 
youth, but I removed from it thirteen years ago. I knew 
T. only subsequent to that removal. 

" '4. While living there I wrote my name with the 
diminutive Nellie, but since then have preferred to write 
my baptismal name, Ella, or merely the initial E. T. was 
wont to use the initials merely. 

" 'At my next sitting, November 30, I inquired about 
this mongrel address. 'T. was not strong enough,' said 
Phinuit, to direct where the letter should be sent, but he 
thought your cousin David would attend to your getting it. 
Your other friends here helped us in the rest of the address. ' 
'But they would not tell you to send to Reading.' 'Yes, they 
would; they did. It was Mary told us that.' 'Nonsense!' 
said I, thinking of a sister of that name. 'Not Mary in 
the body, but Mary in the spirit,' was the reply. 'But I have 
no such friend,' said I. . 'Yes, you have. It was Mary L. — 
Mary E. — Mary E. Parker told us that.' I then remem- 
bered a little playmate of that name, a next-door neighbor, 
who moved away from Reading when I was ten years old, 
and of whose death I learned a few years later. I had 
scarcely thought of her for "twenty years. The E. in the 
name I have not verified. 

"The wife and brother of Professor James had a sitting 
with Mrs. Piper in 1886, and were told that when they ar- 
rived home they would find a telegram on the table, announc- 
ing the death of an aunt in New York. They stopped at 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 313 

the society's offices on the way home and recorded their ex- 
periences, and on arrival home found the telegram as they 
had been told. They knew of the aunt's illness, but did not 
previously know of her death, though expecting it." (Dr. 
J. H. Hystop, Harper's Magazine, April, 1900.) 

"Into an adjoining village, East Weymouth, in the win- 
ter of 1852, there came vague reports of exceptional phe- 
nomena being witnessed. Persons from West Hingham, 
where I reside, had become cognizant of the same. My 
mother, becoming interested, proposed making inquiry of 
a trader who lived in the above named village, the proposi- 
tion being seconded by myself before I left home. 

" Returning at night, I ascertained the trader had called 
during the day, confirming the truth of the stories which 
had prompted the inquiries, and, in addition, the name of 
the gentleman, Mr. Alvah Raymond, at whose residence the 
unexplained phenomena were being witnessed. I thought 
such could not be the fact, as this gentleman was a promi- 
nent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

"One Thursday morning, a few days later, Mr. Ray- 
mond seated himself beside me in the cars for Boston. With 
some hesitation, I rather indefinitely alluded to the reports 
which had come to my ears. He said if I would tell just 
what I had heard, he could more easily answer. On my 
doing so, he unhesitatingly affirmed that he had investigated 
such a phenomenon in his own house for several weeks, but 
that he had resolved to keep his own counsel as to the con- 
victions forced upon his mind by this investigation, since, 
he said, if the public knew what those convictions were, he 
would be regarded as growing wild. I replied, after a pause : 



314 THE REALITY AND 

'I have regarded this claim of spirit agency as most absurd ; 
at the same time, I am aware Iknow nothing of the subject, 
and, I assure you, if, after your persistent investigation and 
opportunities of observation, any theory or conviction has 
forced itself upon your mind, I should think no less of you 
for that conviction.' Appealing to him thus, with an as- 
surance of confidence in his judgment, he reviewed the his- 
tory of his investigation, telling how the matter was first 
brought to his notice; how the little Irish girl, who< seems 
to have been the medium, came into' his family, etc., etc. 
This conversation continuing quite up into the city, as we 
were about to part, Mr. Raymond said to me: 'Mr. Hudson, 
I wish you to take nothing for granted on my saying so; 
come to my hous,e next Monday evening, and see and hear 
for yourself.' I readily agreed to do so, and deeming it 
prudent to have a companion as skeptical as myself, after 
some solicitation, prevailed upon two gentlemen, cousins to 
each other, in the seed business on Broad street, to go with 
me. Providentially, as it has since seemed to me, the idea of 
taking an alphabet with me to Weymouth was suggested to 
me in an unexpected interview with a gentleman who had 
seen something of such phenomena in East Boston. With 
the alphabet in my pocket, we three left the cars at the 
village and proceeded to Mr. Raymond's residence. 

"Without being unnecessarily minute in description, I 
will simply state that, heretofore, in order to obtain an- 
swers or communications, the alphabet had been called verb- 
ally. The young medium had become quite expert. A 
wrong letter being noted would be at once recognized by the 
invisible intelligence and corrected. Watching the proceed- 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 315 

ings narrowly, I asked if a question would be answered if I 
ma.de use of an alphabet. The medium remarking that we 
had none, I replied that I had brought one with me, which 
was not known to either of my companions. Three raps 
being heard, I asked a commonplace question, making use 
of the alphabet, holding the same under cover of the edge of 
the table, and when a letter was tapped at, I whispered in 
my friend's ear such letter to be noted down. When no 
more could be obtained, judge of my surprise when he an- 
nounced it correctly spelt, and an answer to my question. 

"Among the interesting incidents of that evening was 
the naming of an infant whose name had previously been 
fixed upon, Mr. Raymond resisiting the importunities of the 
spirit up to this time, but yielding at last on the intelligence 
manifesting much feeling on the subject, and the name was 
given as desired. 

"We had become interested, and on inquiring of Mr. 
Raymond where else such phenomena could be witnessed, 
he suggested two or three localities and mediums, one being 
a young man, a paper carrier, by name Baldwin. W r e found 
him at a house on Shawmut avenue, Boston, he having just 
moved there. He desired us to come another day, as he was 
so unsettled and had no fire. I proposed building one 
rather than go away. Reluctantly accepting my proposi- 
tion, we were shown into a room, whose only furniture was 
a chair and table; two more chairs were brought in, only 
one of the gentlemen who had been with me in Weymouth 
being present. We recognized the sounds as having more 
distinctness and volume. A prominent feature of this inter- 
view, that could not have been provided for in advance, oc- 



313 THE REALITY AND 

curred as we were preparing to leave. We were standing in 
the middle of the floor, had adjusted our overcoats, and 
were going, when my friend suddenly said : Now, won't 
you bid us good-bye?' From the four sides of the room an 
outburst or raps responded, gradually diminishing in vol- 
ume and frequency, as though gradually retiring. 

"I went home fully impressed with the fact that mind, 
independent of a physical organism, was a living reality." 
(Wm. Hudson, Facts, September, 1884.) 

"I am not a spiritualist, nor have I made any investiga- 
tions of the phenomena of spiritualism until recently, when 
my attention was called to the subject by a friend, who asked 
me to go with him to a sitting. Though somewhat averse 
to the step, I went as requested. We were met at the door 
by a young girl of, I should judge, about seventeen years, 
whom I afterwards learned was Mrs. Caffray, the ma- 
terializing medium. She kindly invited us to enter, and gave 
us a seat in a room where about twenty people were seated. 
Presently Mr. Caffray made his appearance from another 
room, and invited us all into his back parlor, where he holds 
the sittings. I went in, laughing to myself at the foolish- 
ness of my friend, for he did look so sincere. 

"At first we all sat around a table, taking hold of hands. 
The lights were put out, and instantly some one put the 
bells in and touched me all over my face. A hand played 
the guitar on my head, and placed a strong light before 
my eyes. Then I felt a cold breeze all over me, and by this 
time began to think there was something more to< be experi- 
enced at these sittings than I had anticipated. I called out : 
'Where is the medium ?' and he spoke from his chair, saying : 






EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 317 

'I am here;' when immediately, right in front of me, some 
one else spoke in a heavy voice, saying: 'And I am here.' 
'Who are you ?' I asked, and the answer was : 'I am John 
Gray, this medium's control.' Well, this John Gray told 
me some wonderful things, and especially things that no 
one knows but myself. He then whispered one other 
thing in my ear, which was a secret to me, and said : 'I know 
you don't want anyone to know this, so I whisper it to you 
to show you I know.' I tell you, Mr. Editor, I felt as if I 
was going through the floor. My friend, of course, was 
highly delighted. 

"Next the light was lit, and the medium brought out 
two slates, sat four others and myself around the table, and 
commenced washing them. My friend asked me to look and 
see if they were clean. I looked to please him, and. found 
them all clean. The medium then put a piece of pencil be- 
tween these two clean slates and put them together. We 
all took hold of hands, when, most surprising to me, there in 
the light, I heard that piece of pencil move around between 
those slates. In a few minutes I heard three loud knocks, 
and the medium asked me to open them. I did so, when, 
Bureka! I found the slates full of writing, and there be- 
fore my eyes was a message in my mother's handwriting, 
telling me things to do which I promised her I would do 
before she passed away, but which I had neglected. I was 
overwhelmed with astonishment; the perspiration poured 
from my forehead ; I had got done laughing. 

"Next, we sat in a semi-circle, and the medium invited 
anyone to examine his cabinet (as he called it). My friend 
advised me to go up and examine it, and look for trap 



318 THE REALITY AND 

doors; but I declined doing so>; though three or four did 
go up, and pronounced everything all right. Next, the 
lady medium went into the cabinet. The light was lowered 
a little, but there was sufficient light left, for I took out my 
watch and saw what time it was. Mr. Caffray then wound 
up a large music box, set it playing, and then all was quiet. 
It would occupy too much space in your columns were I to 
describe all that happened. I will mention a few only of the 
many remarkable incidents. 

"A little girl, apparently about nine years of age, came 
to the cabinet door, and calling me by name, asked me to 
approach her. I did so and she gave me a beautiful rose. 
She then called everyone in the room singly the same way, 
and gave each a rose. But what ,to me was the greatest 
wonder of all was this : a light about the size of a cent was 
seen about two feet in front of me. It commenced to en- 
large and grow more luminous, and continued to do so, 
until it became a full-size adult female form, and brighter 
than the burning gas above our heads. It then spoke, gave 
me my mother's name, and said : 'I am your mother/ and 
told me never again to laugh at what I knew nothing about. 
I easily- identified my mother by a private mark on the 
spirit's face that my mother had on her face while living in 
this life. She then handed me a beautiful flower, diminished 
in size back to the little bright spot I first saw, and then 
vanished entirely. I have the rose to this day. If Mr. 
Caffray uses every skeptic as he used me, he must have set 
many a mind thinking." (Edward M. O'Connor, Facts, 
July, 1884.) 

"On Friday morning, August 2, 1884, about twenty per- 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 319 

sons met at Dr. Rothermel's cottage for a seance. His 
cabinet, which is open at the top, is low enough for most 
persons to look over, and see all that it contains. The doctor 
sat in front of one of the curtains, with another thrown 
over him, but with his head through an opening made in it 
for that purpose. Before taking his seat he was securely 
tied. 

"Almost as soon as the curtain dropped over him, hands 
were seen in a number of places, one appearing at the side 
of the cabinet that wound and started the music box, which 
stood outside the cabinet in full view of the audience, and 
which requires considerable strength to wind. 'Home, Sweet 
Home,' 'When the Mists are Cleared Away,' and other 
pieces were played on the zithern very beautifully. Instru- 
ments, bells, and other articles were handed out, and finally 
a small table passed over the head of the medium. Personal 
communications were written to nearly everyone in the 
circle from friends whose individuality they recognized. 
These communications were delivered without being read, 
the spirit designating by raps who the message was for, as 
Mrs. Rothermel passed them around the circle, and in every 
case was right. I had three personal messages in all in 
different handwritings. Handkerchiefs were then called for, 
which had been previously dampened, and held in the left 
hand of the persons owning them, on which were written 
messages from friends and relatives in the spirit world. 
One especially interesting, was that of Dr. Blodgett, of 
Holyoke, Mass., on which was the name of the person who 
had presented him with the handkerchief, but is now in the 
spirit world. Dr. Rothermel was controlled during the 



320 THE REALITY AND 

seance by two or three spirits, and finally by Emma, when 
his hands were examined and found tied as at first. The 
door leading to the street was then opened, and we supposed 
the seance ended, but Emma said no, and in this broad day- 
light hands were seen. The music-box was again started. 
The control, Emma, then called for a knife, which was 
passed to her, and in an instant we heard the cutting of the 
cord, first on one wrist, then on the other, and the knife was 
passed over the top of the cabinet. Mrs. Kelly, of Boston, 
was then asked to kneel in front of the medium and put her 
hands on his, which she did, the manifestations continuing. 

"This ended the seance, which to all was very satisfac- 
tory, and to a skeptic very convincing, especially as it was 
in good light, and at last in broad day-light." (Facts.) 

"But of one beautiful manifestation — where, as there 
was no money consideration, no skeptic to be convinced 
(or defrauded), no possible motive for deception and no 
possibility of collusion, — even our materialistic Spiritualists, 
or the singularly-incapable would-be-investigators of the 'I 
told you so' class, might have been suprised and delighted. 

"The seance given by invitation to a party of nine in- 
vited guests, in a private parlor, where no public circle is 
ever held, and where any previous arrangements of fraudu- 
lent accessories would be utterly out of the question, occurred 
one evening in June last. There were present, as before 
stated, nine persons, all respectable and reliable witnesses, 
whose names are only withheld because I have not asked 
permission to use them, but who>, I am sure, would not 
hesitate to assent to and affirm the truth of my description. 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 321 

"The medium sat in a comfortable arm-chair, just be- 
yond the portiere dividing the dining and drawing rooms, 
the dining room doors being locked, the rooms examined, 
and left in total darkness, but the parlor in which the sitters 
grouped themselves in a circle, or, rather, horse-shoe, near 
the portiere, was lighted by an ordinary drop-light from the 
gasolier, the light being softened, but not made dim, by a 
tissue paper shade. 

"I think the first form which appeared was that of a 
tall, youthful figure, a blonde, beautifully dressed in a per- 
fectly fitting, totally unornamented white corded silk, mak- 
ing her simple, girlish beauty the more apparent, as well as 
the total want of resemblance to the medium (who is bru- 
nette), or to the sitters, — all elderly. She stood a moment, 
holding back the curtain, then advanced a step or two into 
the circle toward 'the light. No one spoke, or seemed to rec- 
ognize her, until, something seeming to prompt me, I said : 
'Is it spirit Violet?' This is the name adopted by the beau- 
tiful spirit daughter of a very dear friend of The Voice of 
Angels, the spirit having been a very frequent contributor 
to its columns, through the mediumship of Miss Shelhamer, 
for some years. 

"The beautiful form instantly came and knelt down be- 
side me, and, putting her arms about me, laid her soft cheek 
against mine, motioned with her hands a desire to write. 
The gentleman beside me furnished a pencil and an old legal 
envelope, I handed them to her. She took them, walked 
around behind us to the head of the line, came into the 
circle, stood in full light, and wrote a message, which she 
put in my hand, desiring that I should send it to her father. 



322 THE REALITY AND 

Retiring to the room in which the medium sat, she was out 
of sight only a moment when she reappeared, bringing a 
clove pink, which she also gave me 'for my papa,' as she 
said. She spoke to me of The Voice, of my work upon it, 
my anxiety about it, etc., etc., and, assuring me of her sym- 
pathy and appreciation, withdrew. Form after form fol- 
lowed in quick succession, all being recognized and welcomed 
by someone in the circle. 

"But it is of one particular phase I intended to speak, 
which I have never seen elsewhere. Later in the evening, 
when the power of the unseen chemists seemed even greater 
than at first, a female form, larger and more matured than 
the one I have described, appeared clothed in a close-fitting 
white silk, which was covered with a beautiful puffy drapery 
of finest lace, with a mesh like brussels, the front breadth, 
and a long lace scarf worn about the shoulders, being cov- 
ered with embroidered bouquets of pansies, rose-buds, and 
leaves, nearly a hand-breadth in size, and set at regular in- 
tervals. On our exclamations of surprise, the figure stepped 
to each one of us, allowing us to feel as well as see that it was 
really raised embroidery, exquisitely wrought, apparently of 
silk floss and chenille, each thread seeming to lie upon the 
surface of the lace like the most perfect hand embroidery. 
Walking deliberately around the circle, and passing under 
the drop-light, she stood beside it, where the light, falling 
directly upon her, showed the rich coloring and perfect shad- 
ing of the colors, and the luster of the silks. Then coming 
around behind me, stood with her hand resting lightly on 
my shoulders. 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 323 

"We were speaking, my neighbor and I, of the won- 
derful power of these soi-called chemical spirits to gather 
material evidently from the atmosphere, when this one, with 
a little pressure of her hand on my shoulder, said : 'Look, 
now !' I turned, as did the rest, to look at her, and, behold I 
every trace of embroidery was gone. She stepped into the 
center of the circle again, the drapery, scarf, and all about 
her as before, but perfectly white and smooth. Then, at 
the request of one of us to have the wonderful embroidery 
restored, held above her head, a yard or so at a time, till 
all had been passed through her hands in this way in plain 
sight of every one of us, and in less time than I have taken to 
tell it, the same beautiful colored embroidery covered her 
dress as before. 

"Again, allowing us to examine it as closely as before, she 
stepped again to the middle of the circle, out of which she 
had not been one instant, and threw off piece after piece of 
the lace, which fell upon the floor at our feet, and vanished 
like a soap-bubble, and in falling gave out sparks, and 
crackled as one's clothing or hair will do on a cold night, if 
one is electric. Finally, standing there, with a beautiful smile 
of acknowledgement for our expressions of delight, and 
wonder, clothed simply in the plain white silk princess' robe,, 
she bade us good night, and retired to the darkened room in 
which the medium sat in her usual street costume of black, 
deeply entranced, dripping with perspiration, and utterly 
exhausted, when a few minutes later, we crowded about her 
to thank her for allowing herself to be used for so beautiful 
an exhibition at such a cost of temporary nervous exhaus- 
tion." (Mrs. Julia A. Dawley, Facts, February, 1-885.) 



324 THE REALITY AND 

While we have seen much of the phenomena of spirit- 
ualism and have attended many seances, both public and 
private, yet so few have been conducted with that necessary 
precaution that is so essential to eliminate all possibility of 
fraud or collusion. 

The most satisfactory phenomena we ever saw, occurred 
in a private family circle, which we were privileged to at- 
tend, in fact, the daughter of the house and ourselves began 
the investigation of the phenomena of Spiritualism to- 
gether. After a great deal of discussion and consultation 
with different members of her family, we finally decided to 
attend a materializing seance, which we did; but what we 
saw there only more deeply stimulated our curiosity and we 
decided to more thoroughly investigate the phenomena. Ac- 
cordingly the family formed a circle among themselves, so 
they would be absolutely sure that what they got, if any- 
thing, could be depended upon as coming from some disem- 
bodied source and there would be no attempt at fraud. We 
were, because of our years of friendship, privileged to at- 
tend these circles whenever we could; but not living in the 
same place, it was seldom we were fortunate enough to be 
with them. However, we were always kept informed as to 
how they were progressing in their investigations. 

A room on the second floor was set apart and kept solely 
for spirit manifestations, all the furniture was removed 
except a few chairs and a small table. It was while on a 
visit to this family that we saw the phenomena referred to. 
As was the custom of the family before retiring, we spent 
a part of the evening in the "spirit" room. First we placed 
our chairs in a semi-circle in front of the cabinet (the cabi- 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 325 

net consisted of a piece of black cambric tacked across one 
corner of the room), then the light was put out. But soon 
the room was light enough for us to distinguish each other ; 
then the spirits would plunge us in absolute darkness ; then 
large clouds would float around the room visible to all ; and 
we could distinctly see shadowy forms come and go from 
the cabinet. For two hours we watched this phenomena, 
then we said good night to the spirits, lit the lamp and 
prepared to leave the room, but before going, as was the 
custom, the small table was placed in the cabinet; you can 
imagine our surprise when out it came all by itself and 
walked up to the father and stopped. Then each one of us 
in turns put the table back in the cabinet and each time out 
it came without any visible assistance and walked up to the 
old gentleman and stopped. Finally someone asked the spir- 
its if they wanted "father" to put the table in the cabinet, and 
if he did, would it remain ? And quickly three raps replied, 
yes. The old gentleman then put the table in the cabinet and 
all was quiet. 

This table incident occurred in a brightly lighted room 
and to us was absolute proo>f that there are disembodied in- 
telligences that can move objects, understand and answer 
questions. 

We take pleasure in presenting the following communi- 
cation, addressed to us by an eminent jurist, the Honorable 
Christopher Reed, whose recognized intellectuality and cul- 
ture elevated him to the bench of Kansas, where he served, 
with marked ability, for a number of years, and who is now 
a leading member of the St. Louis bar. The motive which 
led him to investigate spiritualism, his personal experiences 



326 THE REALITY AND 

and his impartial verdict are clearly set forth in the following 
langauge : 

"Miss Thomas, St. Louis, Mo. : 

"At the request of a friend I will detail to you, so far as 
I am able to recall, my experiences in relation to my investi- 
gation of what is now called 'Modern Spiritualism.' 

"Always of a deeply spiritual nature, I became, after the 
death of my wife in 1894, greatly concerned about the posi- 
tive evidence of the absorbing fact, whether we live again 
after death. My distaste, or rather my prejudice, against 
the methods of modern spiritualism was so great that it was 
with great reluctance, and in a most accidental way, that I 
was persuaded to investigate for myself the ground of spirit- 
ualism. 

"In 1896, in the city of Kansas City, Mo., an acquaint- 
ance of mine in a conversation related to me the fact that he 
had just undergone a most thrilling experience. I inquired 
what it was. He replied by saying that he had just returned 
from a meeting with a medium in spiritualism, and that at 
such meeting, in open day and in a room full of sunlight, he 
had received what he called 'a mesage from a dead friend' by 
means of 'independent slate writing,' and that such com- 
munication was in all respects correct and accurate and repre- 
sented facts occurring in the lifetime of such friend. He ex- 
plained to me at the same time what he meant by 'independ- 
ent slate writing.' This conversation made a deep impres- 
sion on my mind and 1 followed it up by calling on the me- 
dium, and had several sittings with her for the purpose of 
verifying or disproving what had been related to me. 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 327 

"These first efforts were futile. At the fourth call I was 
informed by the medium, a lady, that my mental condition 
was 'good for a communication/ as she expressed it, and re- 
quested me to take two slates, new apparently and clean, and 
place them face to face without any pencil in them. I did 
so. I was then requested to put them under a small table 
with left hand under slates and right hand on table. She 
then put her left hand under my left hand and her right hand 
over my right hand. The slates in a moment were forcibly 
moved up and down underneath the table, then forcibly 
pressed to the floor, while still in my hand. I then placed 
them and my hands in their former position, with her hands 
in their former position. It was midday and in a room full 
of sunlight and no one besides us were in the room. The 
slates became quiet when replaced under table, and in a 
moment I heard with great distinctness a writing on slates. 
When it ceased, I opened the slates and there found a writ- 
ten communication purporting to be from my wife, who died 
in '94. 

"The message was sensible and related to myself and 
children in connection with matter that I recognized as facts. 
At the very end of the writing (which covered the entire side 
of the slate) in a small place scarcely large enough for the 
word, I discovered the word 'over.' The medium explained 
that there was more to come. So I replaced slates in former 
condition and obtained what I will call another message from 
one purporting to be G. H. Nettleton and about facts that 
were uppermost in my mind and which I had never com- 
municated to any one at any time. I still have the slates 



328 THE REALITY AND 

with the messages so far as they can be preserved under lapse 
of time. 

"On another occasion while at her house with some 
friends I noticed some large tin horns in the corner of room, 
and on iquiring was informed that 'communications,' as she 
expressed it, could also be had through such horns. I was 
amazed. I took up with great hesitation one of the horns, 
some eight feet distant from the medium, and put it to my 
ear. In a moment I heard some whispering, which, in an- 
swer to a direct inquiry, purported to be from my deceased 
wife and spoke of facts I recognized. 

"On another occasion the medium, at my request, took 
up the horn, said some one purporting to be my wife was 
talking to her, and the medium then inquired of me who 
were certain persons ? I said by way of answer that they were 
my children ; she then said : 'Your wife says they are going 
to-day with their grandfather to St. Louis,' which was a fact. 

"On another occasion I took up the horn and a whisper 
in a man's voice was heard. I inquired who it was, and 
among a great many other things, he said that his name was 
Charles Fowl ; that while in the body he lived in St. Louis, 
Mo., and kept a store called 'The St. Bernard Dollar Store.' 
I afterwards ascertained that a man by such a name had kept 
such a store in St. Louis. 

"The foregoing experiences are given for what they are 
worth, with the farther statement that I never, made farther 
investigations and never expect to do so again, for the reason 
that I regard such work as unprofitable and evil in its conse- 
quences, aside from giving the mind some relief and hope on 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 329 

the all absorbing question of Job : 'If a man die shall he live 
again ?' 

"Dated St. Louis, Mo., June 8th, 1903." 

The above phenomena, however surprising to those who 
have no knowledge of such matters, sink into utter insignifi- 
cance when compared with the wonderful phenomena pro- 
duced by the Hindoo Fakers. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Manifestations Continued. 

Occult Science in Europe and America is still young; as 
proof that their mediums have not arrived at that high de- 
gree of perfection attained by the Orientals we present the 
following astounding phenomena. 

Mr. Jacolliot, in his account of the phenomena produced 
in India under his observation, says : 

"Every European has heard of the extraordinary skill of 
the Hindu Fakirs, who are popularly designated under the 
name of Charmers or Jugglers. They claim to be invested 
with supernatural powers. Such is the belief of all Asiatic 
people. 

"When cur countrymen are told of their performances 
they usually answer : 'Go to the regular magicians, they will 
show you the same things.' 

"To enable the reader to appreciate the grounds of this 
opinion, it seems necessary to show how the Fakirs operate. 
The following are facts which no traveler has ventured to 
contradict : 

"First. — They never give public representations in places 
where the presence of several hundred persons makes it im- 
possible to exercise the proper scrutiny. 

330 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 331 

"Second. — They are accompanied by no assistant or con- 
federate, as they are usually termed. 

"Third. — They present themselves in the interior of the 
house completely naked, except that they wear, for modesty's 
sake, a small piece of linen about as large as the hand. 

"Fourth. — They are not acquainted with goblets, or 
magic bags, or double-bottomed boxes, or prepared tables, or 
any of the thousand and one things which our European con- 
jurors find necessary. 

"Fifth. — They have absolutely nothing in their posses- 
sion, save a small wand of seven knots of young bamboo as 
big as the handle of a pen-holder, which they hold in their 
right hand, and a small whistle about three inches long, which 
they fasten to one of the locks of their long, straight hair; 
for, having no clothes and consequently no pockets, they 
would otherwise be obliged to hold it constantly in their 
hands. 

"Sixth. — They operate, as desired by the person whom 
they are visiting, either in a sitting or standing posture, or, 
as the case may require, upon the marble, granite, or stucco 
pavement of the veranda, or upon the bare ground in the 
garden. 

"Seventh. — When they need a subject for the exhibition 
of magnetic or somnambulistic phenomena they take any of 
your servants whom you may designate, no matter whom, 
and they act with the same facility upon a European, in case 
he is willing to serve. 

"Eighth — If they need any article, such as a musical in- 
strument, a cane, a piece of paper, a pencil, etc., they ask you 
to furnish it 



332 THE REALITY AND 

"Ninth. — They will repeat any experiments in your pres- 
ence as many times as you require, and will submit to any test 
you may apply. 

"Tenth. — They never ask any pay, merely accepting as 
alms for the temple to which they are attached whatever you 
choose to offer them. 

"I have traveled through India in every direction for 
many years, and I can truthfully state I have never seen a 
single Fakir who was not willing to comply with any of these 
conditions. 

"It only remains for us to ask whether our more popular 
magicians would ever consent to dispense with any of their 
numerous accompaniments and perform under the same con- 
ditions. 

"There is no doubt what the answer would be. * * * 

"According to their religious belief, those who die in the 
Holy City are not obliged to go through any further trans- 
formations, but their souls immediately ascend to the abode 
of Brahma and are absorbed in the great soul. 

"Numerous pilgrims daily arrive from all parts of India, 
who come to perform, either on their own account, or on be- 
half of wealthy persons who employ and pay them for that 
purpose, devotional exercises, upon the banks of the sacred 
river, whose waters are nowhere else considered so propitious 
as at the feet of the Holy City. 

"Some bring the bones of Rajahs or other distinguished 
personages, whose families are able to afford the expense, 
which are collected after being burnt upon the funeral pyre 
in title bags, which they are instructed to throw into the 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 333 

Ganges. The supreme hope of the Hindu is to die upon the 
banks of that river, or to transport his remains thither. 

"To his latter belief I was indebted during my stay at 
Benares for a meeting with the most extraordinary Fakir 
perhaps that I had ever encountered in India. * * * 
He had been there a fortnight already before I heard of his 
arrival. His name was Covindasamy. 

"After assuring myself of his consent I had him brought 
to my apartment one day at about noon, when the other occu- 
pants of the palace, on account of the extreme heat, were in- 
dulging in their noonday siesta. 

"The room in which I received him looked out upon the 
terrace, which in turn overlooked the Ganges, and was pro^- 
tected against the burning sun by a movable tent made from 
woven fibers of vertivert. In the middle of the terrace there 
was a water spout which fell in a fine shower into a marble 
basin and diffused a most delightful coolness. 

"I asked the Fakir if he wished to occupy any particular 
place rather than another. 

" 'As you please,' he answered. 

"I asked him to go out upon the terrace, which was much 
lighter than the room, and where I would have a better op- 
portunity to watch him. 

" 'Will you allow me to put to you a single question ?' said 
I, when he had assumed a squatting position upon the 
ground. 

" 'I am listening to you.' 

" 'Do you know whether any power is developed in you 
when you perform these phenomena? Did you ever feel 
any change take place in your brain or any of your muscles ?' 



334 THE REALITY AND 

" 'It is not a natural force that acts. I am but an instru- 
ment. I evoke the ancestral spirits, and it is they who man- 
ifest their power.' 

"I have questioned a multitude of Fakirs in relation to 
this matter, and they have nearly all made the same answer. 
They look upon themselves only as intermediaries between 
this world and the invisible spirits. Observing that he en- 
tertained the same belief I dropped the subject in order that 
Covindasamy might go on with his performances. The 
Fakir was already in position, with both hands extended 
towards an immense bronze vase full of water. Within five 
minutes the vase commenced to rock toi and fro> upon its base, 
and approach the Fakir gently and with a regular motion. 
As the distance diminished, metallic sounds escaped from it 
as if some one had struck it with a steel rod. At certain 
times the blows were so numerous and quick that they pro- 
duced a sound similar to that made by a hail-storm upon a 
metal roof. 

"I asked Covindasamy if I could give directions, and he 
consented without hesitation. 

"The vase, which was still under the performer's influ- 
ence, advanced, receded, or stood still, according to my re- 
quest. 

"At one time, at my command, the blows changed into a 
continuous roll like that of a drum; at another, on the con- 
trary, they succeeded each other with the slowness and regu- 
larity of the ticking of a clock. 

"I asked to have the blows struck only every ten seconds, 
and I compared them with the progress of the second hand 
upon the face of my watch. 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 335 

"Then loud, sharp strokes were heard for a minute and 
two^-thirds. 

"Upon the table of the drawing-room attached to my 
apartments stood one of those music-boxes of which the Hin- 
dus are so fond, and which the Peishwa had no doubt pro- 
cured from Calcutta. I had it brought out upon the terrace 
by my cansama, and I asked to have the blows struck upon 
the vase so as to accompany any air which the instrument 
might perform. 

"I then wound up the box in the usual way and pressed 
the spring of the clock-work, without knowing what air it 
would play. A regular whirlwind of notes was the result, 
and the box played, in time designedly accelerated, no doubt, 
the tune of 'Robin of the Wood/ 

"I listened in the direction of the vase, and quick, sharp 
strokes accompanied the tune, with the regularity of the 
baton of an orchestra leader. The air had scarcely finished 
when I again pressed the spring, and the blows moderated 
their pace to keep time to the march from the Prophet, 
which they accompanied exactly. 

"All this was done without fuss, or parade, or mystery of 
any kind upon a terrace of a few yards square. The vase 
thus put in motion could hardly, when empty, have been 
moved by two men. It was hollowed out like a cup, and 
was so situated as to receive the falling jet of water from the 
fountain before spoken of. It was used for the morning ab- 
lutions, which, in India, are almost equal to a regular bath. 

"What was the force that moved this mass ? That is the 
question. 



336 THE REALITY AND 

"I repeated these various experiments a second time, 
and they were renewed with like order and regularity. 

"The Fakir, who had neither changed his position, nor 
left his palace, then stood up and rested the tips of his fingers 
for a short time upon the edge of the vase. It soon began to 
rock to and fro in regular time, from left to right,, gradually 
accelerating its speed, its base, which rose and fell alternately 
on either side, made no sound upon the stuccoed pavement. 

"But what surprised me most was to see that the water 
remained stationary in the vase, as if there were a strong 
pressure that prevented its regaining its equilibrium, which 
the motion of the vessel containing it had disturbed. 

"Three times during these oscillations the vase rose a dis- 
tance of seven to eight inches completely from the ground, 
and when it fell to the pavement again it did so without any 
perceptible shock. 

"The performance had already lasted several hours, dur- 
ing which I had taken copious and careful notes, and had 
also taken the precaution to have each phenomenon repeated 
in a different manner, when the sun, which was sinking below 
the horizon, warned us that it was time for me to commence 
my usual excursions among the venerable monuments and 
ruins of ancient Kassy, which was the center of the religious 
power of the Brahmins when, after their contest with the 
Rajahs, they had lost their temporal power — as well as for 
the Fakir to prepare himself in the temple of Siva, by the 
usual prayers, for the ablutions and funeral ceremonies 
which he was obliged to perform every evening upon the 
banks of the sacred river. 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 337 

"Upon taking his departure the Fakir promised to return 
every day, at the same hour, as long as he should remain at 
Benares. * * * 

"Covindasamy was punctual in the performance of his 
engagement. 

"Gazing at the extraordinary flood of light which the sun 
poured upon the surface of the Ganges as it rolled by I stood 
absorbed in silent contemplation of the magnificent spectacle 
before me, when the Fakir, lifting one of the curtains which 
hung before the door leading into the veranda, walked in and 
sat upon the floor with his legs bent under him after the Hin- 
du manner. * * * 

"Suddenly he arose and walked toward the bronze vase 
which he had used the day before for the purpose of exhibit- 
ing his power. He imposed his hands upon the surface of 
the water which filled it to the very edge, but he did not 
touch it, however, and stood motionless in that position. As 
yet I had no idea of the phenomena that he intended to per- 
form. 

"I do not know that he experienced any unusual diffi- 
culty on that day, but an hour had elapsed before either the 
water or the vase exhibited any evidence whatever of* action 
on his part. 

"I had begun to despair of obtaining any result on that 
occasion, when the water began to be gently agitated. It 
looked as though its surface were ruffled by a slight breeze. 
Placing my hands upon the edge of the vase I experienced a 
slight feeling of coolness, which apparently arose from the 
same cause. A rose-leaf, thrown into the water, soon was 
blown or drifted against the other edge. 



338 THE REALITY AND 

"Meanwhile the Fakir stood motionless. His mouth 
was closed, and, strange to say, though it effectually disposed 
of any idea of trickery on his part, the waves were formed 
on the opposite side from that of the performer and gently 
broke against the edge of the vase on his side. 

"Gradually the motion of the waves became more violent. 
They made their appearance in every direction, as though 
the water were in a state of intense ebullition under the in- 
fluence of a great heat. It soon rose higher than the Fakir's 
hands, and several waves rose to the height of one or two 
feet from the surface. 

"I asked Covindasamy to take his hands away. Upon 
their removal the motion of the water gradually abated, 
without ceasing altogether, as in the case of boiling water 
from which the fire has been removed. On the other hand, 
whenever he placed his hands in their former position the 
motion of the water was as great as ever. 

"The last portion of the seance was still more extraord- 
inary. 

"The Hindu asked me to lend him a small stick. I hand- 
ed him a wooden lead pencil that had never been sharpened. 
He placed it in the water, and in a few minutes, by the im- 
position of his hands, he made it move in every direction like 
a magnet in contact with an iron bar. 

"Placing his forefingers gently upon the middle of* the 
pencil so as not to affect its position upon the water, in a 
few minutes I saw the small piece of wood slowly descend 
beneath the surface until it had reached the bottom of the 
vase. 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 339 

"Laying aside the question of skill or deception on the 
performer's part, without doing which it is impossible for 
me to make any positive statement either one way or the 
other, although under the circumstances it would have been 
extremely difficult for any attempt at imposture to have es- 
caped my attention, it occurred to me that the Fakir, upon 
charging the small piece of wood with fluid, might perhaps 
have increased its weight so as to make it heavier than water. 

"Though deeply sceptical with regard to spirits, I often 
wondered, when I saw an experiment of this kind, whether 
or not some natural force had not been brought into play 
with which we were totally unacquainted. 

"I merely state the facts without further comment. 

"The Fakir's third visit was short, as he was to pass the 
night in prayer upon the banks of the sacred river, upon the 
occasion of a religious festival, and he had been invited to a 
funeral sraddha, which was to take place on the following 
day. 

"He came merely to inform me that he would be obliged 
to attend them, and was preparing to return to the small hut 
that the Peishwa had given him the, use of, when, at my re- 
quest, he consented to perform a phenomenon of elevation, 
which I had already seen other performers successfully ac- 
complish, without, however, taking any particular notice of 
how they did it. 

"Taking an ironwood cane which I had brought from 
Ceylon, he leaned heavily upon it, resting his right hand 
upon the handle, with his eyes fixed upon the ground. He 
then proceeded to utter the appropriate incantations, which 
he had forgotten to favor me with the day previous. 



340 THE REALITY AND 

"From the elaborate preparation he made in my presence 
I formed the opinion that this was to be only another in- 
stance of what I had always regarded as an acrobatic trick. 

"My judgment refuses, in fact, to attach any other name 
to such phenomena as this. 

"Leaning upon the cane with one hand, the Fakir rose 
gradually about two feet from the ground. His legs were 
crossed beneath him, and he made no change in his position, 
which was very like that of those bronze statues of Buddha 
that all tourists bring from the far East, without a suspicion 
that most of them come originally from English foundries. 

"For more than twenty minutes I tried to see how Cov- 
indasamy could thus fly in the face and eyes of all the known 
laws of gravity; it was entirely beyond my comprehension; 
the stick gave him no visible support, and there was no ap- 
parent contact between that and his body, except through his 
right hand. 

"When I dismissed him he informed me, upon leaving, 
that when the sacred elephants should strike the hour of 
midnight upon the copper gong in the pagoda of Siva, he 
would evoke the familiar spirits that protect the Franguys 
(or French), who would then manifest their presence in 
some manner in my bedroom. 

"The Hindus have a perfect understanding among them- 
selves. In order to prevent any too obvious fraud I sent my 
two servants to pass the night upon the dingui with the cer- 
car and boatman. The idea of the supernatural was natur- 
ally repugnant to my mind. My leanings were all the other 
way, but if the fact should occur as he predicted I did not 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 341 

want to be too easily duped. For that reason I prepared to 
throw every obstacle in the Fakir's way. * * * 

"As soon as it was dark I examined all the different 
rooms in the apartment in the most careful manner and made 
sure that nobody was concealed in them. I then raised the 
drawbridge, and thus cut off all communication from the 
outside. 

"At the hour named I thought I heard two blows dis- 
tinctly struck against the wall of my room. I walked toward 
the spot from which the sound seemed to come, when my 
steps were suddenly arrested by a sharp blow, which ap- 
peared to proceed from the glass shade that protected the 
hanging lamp against gnats and night butterflies. A few 
more sounds were heard at unequal intervals in the cedar 
rafters of the ceiling, and that was all. * * * 

"It was night, and I was waiting for the Fakir upon the 
terrace, when he walked quietly in. * * * 

"Without being asked to do so, he then went on with his 
performances. 

"Taking a small bamboo stool that stood near, he sat 
down upon it in the Mussulman style with his legs crossed 
beneath him and his arms folded across his chest. 

"According to my instructions to my cansama, the ter- 
race had been lighted a giorno, and I had made such prep- 
arations that nothing that occurred could possibly escape my 
attention. 

"As in my accounts of previous performances, I omit all 
the elaborate preparations by which they were accompanied, 



342 THE REALITY AND 

and the impression made upon my own mind, and confine 
myself strictly to what is essential. 

"At the end of a few minutes, during which he appeared 
to concentrate his attention upon the bamboo stool upon 
which he was sitting, it began to move noiselessly along the 
floor by short jerks which made it advance about three or 
four inches every time. I watched the Hindu attentively, 
but he was as still and motionless as a statue. 

"The terrace was about seven yards long and as many 
wide. It took about ten minutes to traverse the whole dis- 
tance, and when the stool had arrived at the end it began to 
move backward until it returned to its starting place. The 
performance was repeated three times, and always success- 
fully, unless the conditions were changed. I ought to say, 
however, that the Fakir's legs, which were crossed beneath 
him, were distant from the ground the whole height of the 
stool. 

"During the whole day the heat had been overpowering. 
The night breeze which springs up so regularly in those lati- 
tudes to cool the heated lungs, and which flows from the 
Himalaya Mountains, had not yet risen. The metor was 
moving as fast as he could by the aid of a rope of cocoa fiber 
above our heads, an enormous punkah, hanging from iron 
rods in the middle of the terrace, which also supported hori- 
zontally the'vertivert curtains and surrounding matting. 

"The punkah is a sort of movable fan of rectangular 
form, which is fastened at both ends of the ceiling of the 
room. Set in motion by a servant specially engaged for that 
purpose it imparts a factitious, though very agreeable, cool- 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 343 

ness to the atmosphere. The Fakir made use of this instru- 
ment for the performance of the second phenomenon. 

"Taking the punkah rope from the metor's hands, he 
pressed it against his forehead with both hands, and sat down 
in a squatting position beneath the punkah, which soon be- 
gan to move slowly over our heads, though Covindasamy 
had not made the slightest motion. It gradually increased 
its speed until it moved at a very rapid rate, as though it 
were driven by some invisible hand. 

"When the Fakir let go of the rope it continued to move, 
though at a gradually diminishing rate, and finally stopped 
altogether. 

"These two phenomena were repeated several times, and 
it was now quite late at night, but the Fakir was in a good 
humor, and before leaving he determined to give me another 
proof of his power. 

"Three vases of flowers, so heavy that none but a strong 
man could have lifted them (and then he could not have done 
so without an effort), stood at one end of the terrace. Se- 
lecting one, he imposed his hands upon it so as to touch the 
edge of the vase with the tips of his fingers. Without any 
apparent effort on his part it began to move to and fro upon 
its base as regularly as the pendulum of a clock. It soon 
seemed to me that the vase had left the floor without chang- 
ing its movements in the least degree, and it appeared to me 
to be floating in the air, going from right to left at the will 
of the Fakir. * * * 

"Covindasamy had only three days more to stay at Be- 
nares. I determined to devote our last meeting to experi- 
ments in magnetism and somnambulism. * * * 



344 THE REALITY AND 



n r 



Will you allow me to-day/ said I, 'to indicate the 
phenomena that I wish you to perform, instead of leaving 
them to you?' * * * 

" 'I will do as you please/ said the Hindu, simply. * * * 
"I had often seen the performing Fakirs attach different 
ebjects to the ground, either, according to the explanation 
given me by an English Major who had devoted much time 
and thought to questions of this class, by charging them with 
fluid in order to augment their specific gravity or in some 
other manner unknown to me. I determined to repeat the 
experiment. Taking a small stand of teak wood which I 
could lift without any effort with my thumb and forefinger 
I placed it in the middle of the terrace and asked the Fakir 
if he could not fix it there so that it could not be moved. 

"The Fakir, without the slightest hesitation, walked 
toward the small piece of furniture, and imposing both hands 
upon the top stood motionless in that position for nearly a 
quarter of an hour, at the end of which time he said to me, 
smiling : 

" 'The spirits have come and nobody can remove the ta- 
ble without their permission. ' 

"Feeling somewhat incredulous, I approached the table 
and took hold of it as though I were going to lift it. It 
would not stir from the ground any more than if it had been 
sealed. I struggled harder, with the result that the fragile 
leaf there fastened came off in my hands. 

"I then took hold of the legs, which were united by a 
cross brace and which remained standing, but the result was 
the same. A thought then crossed my mind. 






EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 345 

"Suppose, thought I, that these phenomena are pro- 
duced by the Fakir's charging objects with some kind of 
fluid, and that a natural force is thus developed, the laws of 
which we are as yet ignorant of, the supply of fluid with 
which they are charged must gradually lose its efficacy un- 
less renewed by the operator, and in that case I shall soon be 
able to remove what is left of the table without any diffi- 
culty. 

"I asked the Fakir to go to the other end of the terrace, 
which he did with the utmost good humor imaginable. At 
the end of a few minutes I was able to handle the stand with- 
out any trouble whatever. * * * 

" 'The Pitris have departed,' said the Hindu, in explana- 
tion, 'because their means of terrestrial communication was 
broken. Listen! They are coming again.' 

"As he uttered these words, he imposed his hands above 
one of those immense copper platters inlaid with silver, such 
as are used by wealthy natives for dice playing, and almost 
immediately there ensued such a rapid and violent succession 
of blows or knocks that it might have been taken for a hail- 
shower upon a metal roof, and I thought I saw (the reader 
will observe that I do not express myself positively in this re- 
spect) a succession of phosphorescent lights (plain enough 
to be visible in broad daylight) pass to and fro across the 
platter in every direction. 

"This phenomenon ceased or was repeated at the Fakir's 
pleasure. * * * 

"I bethought myself of a small mill which might be 
moved by a breath, which set several personages in motion. ■ 



346 THE REALITY AND 

I pointed it out to Covindasamy and asked him if he could 
make it go without touching it. 

"In consequent of the imposition of his hands alone he 
set the mill in motion with great rapidity, at a rate which in- 
creased or diminished, according to the distance at which the 
Fakir stood. 

"This was a very simple fact, yet it made a great impres- 
sion upon my mind by reason of the improbability of any 
previous notice or preparation. 

"The following is another of the same character, but 
much more surprising. 

"Among the objects that composed the Peishwa's mu- 
seum was a harmoniflute. By the aid of a small cord tied 
around the wooden square forming a portion of the bellows 
(a part of the instrument which, as everybody knows, is on 
the side opposite to that of the keys) I hung it from one of 
the iron bars of the terrace in such a way that it swung in the 
air at about two feet from the ground, and I asked the Fakir 
if he could make it play without touching it. 

"Complying unhesitatingly with my request, he seized the 
cord by which the harmoniflute was suspended between the 
thumb and forefinger of each hand and stood perfectly mo- 
tionless and still. The harmoniflute soon began to be gently 
stirred, the bellows underwent an alternate movement of con- 
traction and inflation as though proceeding from some invis- 
ible hand, and the instrument emitted sounds which were 
perfectly plain and distinct, though of unusual length and 
not very harmonious, it is true. 

" 'Cannot you get a tune?' said I to Covindasamy. 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 347 

" 'I will evoke the spirit of one of the old pagoda mu- 
sicians,' he answered with the greatest gravity. 

"I waited patiently. 

"The instrument had been silent a long while, not having 
made a sound since my request. It now began to move 
anew and first played a series of notes or chords like a pre- 
lude; it then bravely attached one of the most popular airs 
on the Malabar coast. * * * 

"As long as the piece lasted the Fakir stood perfectly 
still. He merely had hold, as I have already described, of 
the cord by which he was in communication with the har- 
moniflute. 

"Wishing to apply every test in my power, I kneeled 
down in order to observe the various movements of the in- 
strument, and I saw, so that I am positively sure of what I 
say, unless I was misled by an illusion of the senses, the up- 
ward and downward motion oi the keys, according to the 
requirements of the tune. * * * 

"As he was about stepping across the threshold of the 
terrace door he noticed a vase containing various feathers 
taken from the most wonderful birds in India. He took up 
a handful, which he threw above his head high in the air. 
The feathers of course descended again soon, but the Fakir 
made passes beneath them as tney fell, and whenever one 
came near him it turned around quickly and ascended again 
with a spiral movement, until it stopped by the vertivert car- 
pet, which answered the purpose of a movable roof. They 
all went in the same direction, but after a moment, in obedi- 
ence to the laws of gravity, they dropped again, but before 
they had traveled half the distance to the ground they re- 



348 THE REALITY AND 

sumed their ascending movements and were stopped as be- 
fore by the matting, where they remained. 

"A final tremor was followed by a slight manifestation 
of downward tendency, but the feathers soon remained sta- 
tionary. If any one had seen them standing out in sharp re- 
lief against the golden background of the straw matting, in 
brilliant and decided colors of every possible shape, he would 
have said that they were placed there by the pencil of some 
accomplished artist. 

"As soon as the Fakir had disappeared they fell flat to 
the ground. I left them a long while as they lay strewn 
upon the floor, as a proof of which I felt the need that I had 
not been misled by some mental hallucination. * * * 

"Covindasamy had promised me that before he left to re- 
turn to Trivanderm he would employ all the power at his 
command, or, to use an expression for which he alone is re- 
sponsible, he would appeal to all the Pitris who assisted him, 
and would show me something wonderful that I would never 
forget. 

"On the day in question we were to have two sittings, 
one in the broad light of day, like those which I have pre- 
viously described, and one at night, but I was to be free to 
illuminate the place in which the experiments were to be held 
as much as I pleased. 

"The gath of Siva was hardly gilded by the first rays of 
the rising sun when the Hindu, whose mission was now at 
an end, sent in his name by my cansama. He was afraid he 
would find me asleep. * * * 

"He had brought with him a small bag of the finest sand, 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 349 

which he proceeded to empty upon the floor and level with 
his hand, in such a way as to form a surface of about half a 
square yard. 

"When he had done this he asked me to sit at a table op- 
posite him with a sheet of paper and a pencil. 

"Having asked for a small piece of wood, I threw him 
the handle of a penholder, which he gently placed upon the 
bed of sand. 

"'Listen!' said he. 'I am about to evoke the Pitris. 
When you see the article you have just given me stand up- 
right, one end only being in contact with the ground, you 
are at liberty to trace upon the paper any figures you please, 
and you will see an exact copy of them in the sand/ 

"He then extended both hands before him horizontally 
and proceeded to repeat the sacred formulas of evocation. 

"In a few minutes the wooden rod gradually rose, as he 
had said, and at the same moment I proceeded to move my 
pencil over the sheet of paper before me, tracing the strang- 
est figures in the world entirely at random. The piece of 
wood at once imitated every motion, and I saw the whimsi- 
cal figures that I had been tracing appear successively in the 
sand. 

"When I stopped, the improvised pencil stopped — when 
I went on, it followed me. 

"The Fakir had not changed his position, and there was 
no apparent contact between him and the piece of wood. 

"Wishing to know whether he could see, from his posi- 
tion, the movements of the pencil, as I drew it over the sheet 
of paper, which, however, would not have explained how he 



350 THE REALITY AND 

could transfer the figures without being in contact with the 
sand upon which they appeared, I left the table, and placing 
myself in an identically similar position to that of Covindas- 
amy, I was able to satisfy myself that it was totally impossi- 
ble for him to ascertain what I was doing. 

"I then compared the figures with each other, and I 
found that they were exactly alike. 

"Having leveled the sand again, the Fakir said to me: 
'Think of a word in the language of the gods' — the Sancrit. 

" 'Why, that language particularly ?' I answered. 

" 'Because the Pitris use that immortal medium of speech 
more easily than any other. The impure are not allowed to 
use it' * * * 

"The Hindu then extended his hands as before. The 
magic pencil began to move, and, gradually rising, wrote un- 
hesitatingly the following word : 

"Pouroucha ! 

(The celestial generator.) 

"That was actually the word that I had thought of. 

" 'Think of a whole phrase,' continued the Fakir. 

" 'I have done so,' I answered. 

"The pencil then wrote upon the sand the following 
words : 

"Adicete Veikountam Haris! 

(Vischnou sleeps upon Mount Eikonta.) 

" 'Can the spirit by whom you are inspired give me the 
243d sloca of the fourth book of Manu?' inquired I of Cov- 
indasamy. 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 351 

"I had hardly expressed the wish when the pencil pro- 
ceeded to gratify it, and wrote the following words one after 
the other, letter by letter, before my eyes : 

"Darmapradanam pouroucham tapasa, hatakilvisam 
paralokam nayaty acou basouantam Kasaririnam. 

"The following is a translation of this remarkable stanza, 
which was correctly given as indicated : 

" 'The man, the end of all whose actions is virtue, and 
all whose sins are wiped out by acts of piety and sacrifices, 
reaches the celestial mansions, radiant with light and clothed 
with a spiritual form.' 

"Finally, as a last experiment, placing my hands upon a 
closed book containing extracts from hymns in the Rig- Veda, 
I asked for the first word of the fifth line of the twenty-first 
page. I received .the following answer : . 

"Devadatta. 

(Given by a god.) 

"Upon comparison, I found it to be correct. 

" 'Will you now put a mental question ?' said the Fakir. 

"I acquiesced by a simple movement of the head, and the 
following word was written upon the sand: 

"Vasundara. 

(The Earth.) 

"I had asked : 'Who is our common mother ?' * * * 

"The first part of this sitting was somewhat long. I 
asked the Fakir to discontinue his performances for a few 
minutes, during which I walked to the end of the terrace, 
whither he followed me. 

"It might have been ten o'clock in the forenoon. 



352 THE REALITY AND 

"The waters of the Ganges shone like a mirror in the 
bright light of a hot day. Upon our left lay a large garden, 
in the midst of which there stood a well, from which a metor 
was unconcernedly drawing water, which he poured into a 
bamboo pipe, which in its turn supplied a bathing-room. 

"Covindasamy imposed his hands in the direction of the 
well, and the result was that, though the poor metor pulled 
upon the rope with all his might, it would no longer slip 
through the pulley. 

"When a Hindu meets with any impediment in his work 
he at once attributes any obstacle that he cannot overcome to 
evil spirits, and immediately proceeds to chant all the magical 
incantations with which he is acquainted, for the knowledge 
of which he has often paid a high price. 

"The poor metor, of course, could not let slip so 1 favorable 
an opportunity to use the knowledge he had obtained ; but he 
had hardly chanted a few words in that sharp nasal tone, 
which is so lacerating to the European ear, but which is in- 
flicted upon it everywhere in the East, and particularly in the 
far East, in the name of* music, when his voice died away in 
his throat and he found it impossible, though he made the 
strangest contortions, to articulate a single word. 

"After looking at this curious sight for a few moments 
the Fakir dropped his hands and the metor recovered the use 
of his speech, while the rope performed its office as before. 

"Upon returning to the scene of our late experiments I 
found the heat to be overpowering and so remarked to the 
Fakir, who did not seem to hear me, absorbed as he was, ap- 
parently in his own reflections. I had forgotten the remark 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 353 

that I had incidentally let drop, when one of those palm-leaf 
fans that Hindu servants use to cool the air in rooms where 
there is no punkah, flew up from the table, where it had been 
lying, and gently fanned my face. 

"I observed that, although it moved very slowly, the air 
was unusually cool and refreshing. At the same time the 
atmosphere seemed to be filled with the melodious sounds of 
a human voice, which had nothing Hindu about it, which I 
thought I heard, like those faint songs that huntsmen on the 
mountains often hear rising from the valleys at twilight. 

"The palm leaf finally returned to the table and the 
sounds ceased. I wondered whether there had not been 
some illusion of my senses. As the Fakir was about to leave 
me * * * he stopped in the embrasure of the door lead- 
ing from the terrace to the outside stairs, and, crossing his 
arms upon his chest, lifted himself up gradually without any 
apparent support or assistance to the height of about ten to 
twelve inches. 

"I was able to determine the distance exactly by means of 
a point of comparison which I had fixed upon during the 
continuance of the phenomenon. Behind the Fakir's back 
there was a silken hanging, which was used as a portiere 
striped in gold and white bands of equal width. I noticed 
that the Fakir's feet were on a level with the sixth band. At 
the commencement of his ascension I had seized my chrono- 
meter ; the entire time from the moment when the Fakir 
commenced to rise until he touched the ground again was 
more than eight minutes. He remained perfectly still at 
the highest. point of elevation for nearly five minutes. 



354 THE REALITY AND 

"As Covindasamy was making his parting salaam I asked 
if he could repeat the last phenomenon whenever he pleased. 

" 'The Fakir/ answered he, emphatically, 'can lift him- 
self up as high as the clouds.' 

" 'What is the source of his power?' I do not know why 
I asked him the question, as he had already told me, more 
than twenty times, that he did not regard himself as any- 
thing more than an instrument in the hands of the Pitris. 

"He aswered me with the following lines : * * * 

" 'He should be in constant communication with heaven, 
and a superior spirit should descend therefrom.' * * * 

"Among the extraordinary claims advanced by the Fakirs 
is one that they can directly influence the growth of plants, 
and that they can so hasten it as to accomplish in a few hours 
what usually takes several months or even years. * * * 

"Absurd as it seemed, as Covindasamy, who was really 
a man of remarkable power, proposed to repeat the various 
phenomena which 1 had already seen performed by others at 
different times, I determined to watch him so that he could 
do nothing which should escape my notice. 

"He had promised to give me two hours more of his 
time — from three to five — previous to the night sitting. I 
determined to employ them as proposed. 

"The Fakir suspected nothing, and I thought he would be 
highly surprised when, upon his arrival, I told him what I 
intended to do. 

" 'I am entirely at your service,' said he, in his usual sim- 
ple way. 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 355 

"I was somewhat disconcerted by his assurance, but I 
continued : 

" 'Will you allow me to choose the earth, the vessel, and 
the seed which you are to make grow before my eyes ?' 

" 'The vessel and the seed, yes ; but the earth must be 
taken from a nest of carias.' 

"These little white ants, who build, for shelter, small 
hills, often reaching a height of nine or a dozen yards, are 
very common in India, and there was no difficulty whatever 
in procuring a little of the earth, which they prepare very 
skilfully for their purpose. 

"I told my cansama to have a flower-pot of the usual size 
filled with the earth required, and to bring me, at the same 
time, some seeds of different sorts. 

"The Fakir asked him to break the earth between a couple 
of stones, as it was only to be obtained in pieces almost as, 
hard as old building material. * * * 

"In less than a quarter of an hour my servant returned 
with the articles required. I took them from his hands and 
dismissed him, not wishing to leave him in communication 
with Covindasamy. 

"To the latter I handed the flower-pot filled with a whit- 
ish earth, which must have been entirely saturated with that 
milky fluid which the caria secrete and deposit upon every 
particle of earth, however small, which they use for building 
purposes. 

"When the Fakir deemed that it was in proper condition 
he asked me to give him the seed that I had selected, as well 
as about a foot and a half of some white cloth. I chose at 



356 THE REALITY AND 

random a pawpaw seed from among those which my can- 
sarna had brought, and before handing it to him I asked him 
if he would allow me to mark it. Being answered in the 
affirmative, I made a slight cut in its outer skin. It was very 
much like the kernel of a gourd, except in color, which was a 
deep brown. I gave it to him, with a few yards of mosquito 
cloth. 

* 'I shall soon sleep the sleep of the spirits,' said Covin- 
dasamy; 'you must promise me that you will neither touch 
me personally nor the flower-pot.' 

"I made the promise required. 

"He then planted the seed in the earth, which was now 
in a state of liquid mud, thrusting his seven-knotted stick — 
which, being a sign of his initiation, he never laid aside — 
into one corner of the vessel, and using it as a prop to hold 
up the piece of muslin which I had just given him. After 
hiding from sight in this manner the object upon which he 
was to operate, he sat down upon the floor, stretched both 
hands horizontally above him and gradually fell into a deep 
cataleptic sleep. * * * 

"I had been waiting for a couple of hours, and the sun 
was fast sinking below the horizon, when a low sigh startled 
me. The Fakir had recovered possession of his senses. 

"He made signs to me to approach. Removing the mus- 
lin that hid the flower-pot, he then pointed out to me a young 
stalk of papaw, fresh and green, and nearly eight inches 
high. 

"Anticipating my thoughts, he thrust his fingers into the 
ground, which, meanwhile had parted with nearly all of its 






EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 357 

moisture, and carefully taking up the young plant he showed 
me, upon one -of the two cuticles still adhering to the roots, 
the cut that I had made two hours previously. 

"Was it the same seed and the same cut? I have only 
one answer to make. I noticed no substitution. The Fakir 
had not left the terrace ; I had not lost sight of him. When 
he came he did not know what I was going to ask. It was 
impossible for him to conceal a plant in his clothes, as he was 
almost entirely naked, and, at any rate, he could not have 
told in advance that I would select a papaw seed among thir- 
ty different kinds that my cansama had brought. * * * 

"After enjoying my surprise for a few moments, the 
Fakir said to me, with an ill-concealed movement of pride: 

" 'If I had continued my evocations longer the papaw 
tree would have borne flowers in eight days, and fruit in fif- 
teen.' * * * 

"I said in reply that there were other performers who ac- 
complished the same results in two hours. 

" 'You are mistaken/ said the Hindu ; 'in the manifesta- 
tions you speak of there is an apport, as it is called, of fruit 
trees by the spirits. What I have just shown you is really 
spontaneous vegetation; but the pure fluid under the direc- 
tion of the Pitris never was able to produce the three phases 
of germination, flowering and fruitage in a single day/ 

"It was near the hour of ablutions ; in other words, it was 
near sunset. The Fakir hastened to leave me, engaging to 
meet me for the last time at ten o'clock that evening, when 
the remainder of the night was to be devoted to phenomena 
of apparition. * * * 



358 THE REALITY AND 

"At the appointed hour Covindasamy quietly entered my 
room. * * * 

"Before entering my apartments he had divested himself 
O'f the small piece of cloth called the langouty, about four 
inches wide, which usually composed his only garment, and 
had deposited it upon one of the steps. He was entirely 
naked when he came in, and his seven-knotted stick was fas- 
tened to a lock of his long hair. 

* 'Nothing impure,' said he, 'should come in contact with 
the body of the evocater if he wishes to reserve his power of 
communication with the spirits unimpaired. 

"My bedroom was on a level with the terrace. I set 
apart both rooms for our experiments and carefully shut and 
fatened all the outside doors by means of which they were 
accessible. 

"The terrace was securely closed by its movable ceiling 
and curtains of vetivert matting. There was no opening 
from the outside, and nobody could gain admission except 
through my bedroom. 

"In the center of each room there was a cocoa oil lamp 
protected by a glass shade of the clearest crystal, which hung 
from a bronze chain and diffused a soft light, sufficiently in- 
tense, however, to enable any one to read the smallest type in 
the remotest corner of the room. 

"All Hindu houses contain small copper furnaces which 
are kept constantly supplied with burning coals, on which are 
burned from time to time a few pinches of a perfumed pow- 
der, consisting of sandal wood, iris root, incense and myrrh. 

"The Fakir placed one of these in the center of the ter- 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 359 

race and deposited by its side a copper platter filled with the 
fragrant powder; having done so, he took his seat upon the 
floor in his usual posture, with his arms folded across his 
chest, and commenced a long incantation in an unknown 
tongue. 

"When he was through with the recitation of his men- 
trams he remained in the same position without making a 
movement, his left hand resting upon his heart, and his 
right hand leaning upon his seven-knotted stick. 

"I thought he was going to drop into a cataleptic sleep, 
as he had done the day before, but such was not the case. 
From time to time he pressed his hand against his forehead, 
and seemed to make passes as though to relieve his brain. 

"Involuntarily I experienced a sudden shock. A slightly 
phosphorescent cloud seemed to have formed in the middle 
of my chamber, from which semblances of hands appeared 
to go and come with great rapidity. In a few minutes sev- 
eral hands seemed to have lost their vaporous appearance 
and to resemble human hands, so much so, indeed, that they 
might have been readily mistaken for the latter. Singular 
to relate, while some became, as it were, more material, 
others became more luminous. Some became opaque and 
cast a shadow in the light, while others became so trasparent 
that an object behind them could be distinctly seen. 

"I counted as many as sixteen. 

"Asking the Fakir if I could touch them, I had hardly ex- 
pressed a wish to that effect, when one of them, breaking 
away from the rest, flew toward me and pressed my out- 
stretched hand. It was small, supple and moist, like the 
hand of a young woman. 



360 THE REALITY AND 

" 'The spirit is present, though one of its hands is alone 
visible,' said Covindasamy. 'You can speak to it if you 
wish.' 

"I smilingly asked whether the spirit to whom that 
charming hand belonged would give me something in the 
nature of a keepsake. 

"Thereupon, in answer to my request, I felt the hand 
fade away in my own. I looked; it was flying towards a 
bouquet of flowers, from which it plucked a rosebud, which 
it threw at my feet and vanished. 

"For nearly two hours a scene ensued which was calcu- 
lated to set my head in a whirl. At one time a hand brushed 
against my face or fanned it with a fan. At another it 
would scatter a shower of flowers all over the room, or would 
trace in the air, in characters of fire, words which vanished 
as soon as the last letter was written. 

"Some of these words were so striking that I wrote them 
down hastily with a pencil. 

"Divy ava pour gatwa. 

"Meaning in Sanscrit — 'I have clothed myself with a 
fluidic (fluidique) body/ 

Immediately afterward the hand wrote: 

"Atmanam creyasayoxyatas. Dehasya' sya vimocanaut. 

" 'You will attain happiness when you lay aside this per- 
ishable body.' 

"Meanwhile, flashes of genuine lightning seemed to dart 
across both rooms. 

"Gradually, however, all the hands disappeared. The 
cloud from which they came seemed to vanish by degrees as 
the hands became more material. 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 361 

"In the place where the last hand had disappeared we 
found a garland of those yellow flowers with penetrating 
fragrance which the Hindus use in all their ceremonies. 

"I offer no explanation — I merely relate what occurred 
— leaving the reader at perfect liberty to draw any conclusion 
that he may see fit. 

"I can state positively, however, that the doors of both 
rooms were closed, that I had the keys in my pocket, and that 
the Fakir had not changed his position. * * * 

"Shortly after the hands had disappeared, and while the 
Fakir was still going on with his evocations, a cloud similar 
to the first, but more opaque and of a brighter color, hovered 
near the little furnace, which, at the Hindu's request, I had 
kept constantly fed with burning coals. By degrees it 
seemed to assume a human form, and I distinguished the 
spectre — for I cannot call it otherwise — of an old Brahmin- 
ical priest kneeling by the side of the little furnace. 

"On his forehead he wore the signs of his consecration to 
Vischnou, while his body was girdled with the triple cord, 
which signified that he had been initiated into the priestly 
caste. He clasped his hands above his head as in the per- 
formance of sacrifices, and his lips moved as if they were 
reciting prayers. At a certain moment, he took a pinch of 
the perfumed powder and threw it upon the furnace; there 
must have been an unusual quantity, for the fire emitted a 
thick smoke which filled both rooms. 

"When the smoke dispersed I noticed the spectre less 
than a couple of yards distant ; it held out to me its fleshless 



362 THE REALITY AND 

hands. I took them in my own, as I returned his greeting, 
and was surprised to find them, though hard and bony, warm 
and lifelike. 

" 'Are you really/ said I, in a distinct voice, 'a former 
inhabitant of the earth?' 

"I had hardly finished the question, when the word am 
(meaning yes), appeared and disappeared in letters of fire 
upon the bosom of the old Brahmin. * * * 

" 'Will you not leave me something as a token of your 
presence ?' 

"The spirit broke the triple cord, consisting of three 
strands of cotton, which was tied about his loins, gave it to 
me and then faded away before my eyes. * * * 

"All at once, I heard a strange tune performed upon an 
instrument, which seemed to be the harmoniflute that we 
had used a couple of days before. That, however, appeared 
impossible, inasmuch as the Peishwa had sent for it the 
day before, and it was consequently no longer in my rooms. 

"It sounded at a distance, at first, but soon it came so 
near that it appeared to come from the next room, and I 
seemed before long to hear it in my bedroom. I noticed the 
phantom of a musician from the pagodas, gliding along the 
wall. He had a harmoniflute in his hands, from which he 
drew plaintive and monotonous notes exactly like the re- 
ligious music of the Hindus. 

"When he had made the circuit of my room and of 
the terrace, he disappeared, and I found the instrument that 
he had used at the very place where he had vanished. • 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 363 

"It was actually the rajah's harmoniflute. I examined 
all the doors, but I found them all securely locked and I had 
the keys in my pocket. 

"Covindasamy then arose * * * made his parting 
salaam and noiselessly disappeared behind the curtains that 
hung before the outside door of my rooms. * * * 

"I threw myself upon a hammock for a few hours' rest. 
When I awoke and remembered the strange scenes that had 
passed before my eyes, it seemed as though I had been the 
plaything of a dream. Yet there was the harmoniflute, and 
I could not find out who, if anybody, had brought it. The 
floor of the terrace was still strewn with flowers, the crown 
of flowers was upon a divan, and the words that I had writ- 
ten had not vanished from the memorandum book in which 
I had jotted them down." {Occult Science in India, pp. 208, 
209, 229 to 271, inc.) 

In the face of the above phenomena, it is plain that spir- 
itualism in India has nothing to learn from so-called modern 
spiritualism. On the contrary, modern spiritualism might 
learn much from the Hindus in more ways than one. They 
might learn not only the fundamental principles of the phe- 
nomena of spiritualism as well as its so-called philosophy; 
but they might also learn from the example furnished by 
India what the ultimate result of spiritualism will be to a 
people. The ancestors of the present Hindus were a great 
intellectual and cultivated people, as shown by their splendid 
architectural remains as well as by their literature, historical, 
scientific and religious. But just as the priesthood finally 
degraded the man from the coveted position of Brahmatma 



364 



THE REALITY AND 



to a life of debauchery; so did spiritualism finally degrade 
the whole population of India from the most enlightened 
civilization to barbarism and savagery as we find it to-day. 
Thus the claim of spiritualists that spiritualism is enlight- 
ening, elevating and progressive is disproved by all history,, 
sacred and profane. 






CHAPTER XVIII. 

The Origin of Spiritualism. 

While our desire is to show the reality and evils of 
spiritualism, nevertheless we feel that our book would not 
be complete without some reference as to its origin. As 
shown in a previous chapter, the survival of the spirit or 
mind and its place of abode in an intermediate state, was 
a part of God's plan of Creation. And we agree with Mr. 
Carroll that God revealed to Adam all that was essential to 
man. And a knowledge of spiritualism was a part of that 
revelation. All the facts indicate that Adam transmitted 
his knowledge to his descendants, and in Adam's "Book of 
Precepts" the Antediluvians possessed a correct account of 
the origin, the reality and the evils of spiritualism, as 
revealed to Adam by God himself. This being true, it 
follows that India, so far from being, as is generally sup- 
posed, the cradle of this so-called occult science, its exist- 
ence was known to our first parents. But in the course of 
time, Adam's "Book of Precepts," like our Bible, fell into 
disrepute and its teachings ignored until finally the degrad- 
ing practices of spiritualism supplanted monotheism. Un- 
der the sway of spiritualism, the world became so corrupt 
that God in His wrath destroyed all the antediluvians, "save 
Noah, and they that were with him in the ark." Monothe- 



366 THE REALITY AND 

ism was the belief of Noah, and this, with a knowledge of 
the reality and evils of spiritualism, he transmitted to his 
descendants, of whom the ancestors of the Hindus were a 
part. At a remote period the Hindus fell completely under 
the control of the priesthood, who to further their own 
selfish ambitions, misled the people into renouncing mono- 
theism and accepting spiritualism; at the same time the 
priests taught monotheism secretly to the initiates. The 
following was their injunction : "Remember, my son, that 
there is only one God, the sovereign master and principle 
of all things, and that the Brahmins should worship Him 
in secret ; but learn also that this is a mystery, which should 
never be revealed to the vulgar herd — otherwise, great 
harm may befall you. — (Words spoken by the Brahmins 
upon receiving a candidate for initiation, according to Vir- 
haspapi.") (Ibid.) 

Fetichism, Shamanism, Totemism, etc., which are re- 
garded by many, and especially atheists, as religion, in its 
early stages of development, are really spiritualism in differ- 
ent stages of decay. And that spiritualism was universally 
practiced by the nations of antiquity is shown by the fact 
that traces of it are found on every continent of the earth. 
We have the most positive proof that the Egyptians, Chal- 
deans, Persians, etc., possessed a knowledge of spiritualism, 
perhaps equal to that of the Hindus ; yet with all the elevat- 
ing influences claimed by spiritualists for spiritualism, it is 
significant that those once powerful nations have either been 
like the Hindus, reduced to barbarism and savagery, or ut- 
terly destroyed from the face of the earth by the avenging 
hand of an indignant God. Under the sublime and elevat- 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 367 

ing influences of monotheism all the great civilizations of the 
nations of antiquity were developed and maintained; their 
ruins speak to us of the pernicious degrading influences of 
spiritualism. 

While the Bible plainly teaches that God gave to the 
Israelites an organized system of religious worship based 
upon monotheism, and intrusted it to an hereditary priest- 
hood, He at the same time forbade the practice of spiritual- 
ism under penalty of death. But unfortunately, the priests 
betrayed their trust; and nothing is more plainly taught in 
the Scriptures than that the Israelites, as a nation, practically 
renounced monotheism and descended to spiritualism and 
idolatry under the corrupt teachings of the priesthood. ( See 
Ezek. xxxiv.) The priests of Israel, like the Brahmins o<f 
India, were ambitious and desired absolute power. In order 
to accomplish their selfish ends, they renounced monotheism, 
formed a league among themselves, known as Cabala, in 
which occult science was made a distinct study, and taught 
to the initiates in the strictest secrecy. And the priests were 
thus enabeled by spirit manifestations to overawe and en- 
slave the people, just as the Brahmins did. And in order to 
preserve and perpetuate their power, the Jewish priest- 
hood, like the Brahmins of" India, were careful to confine to 
themselves their knowledge of evocation, incantations, con- 
jurations and all that goes to make up the mysteries of spirit- 
ualism. In discussing the Jewish Cabala, its origin and 
practices, and its relation to the spiritualism of other coun- 
tries, Mr. Jacolliot says: 

"In opposition to the outward observances with which 
the prescriptions of the Bible are encumbered under the 



368 THE REALITY AND 

Jewish law, by which all intelligent action, all freedom of 
the will are crushed out, there arose gradually by its side, 
in response to a demand for a greater independence of 
thought, and a wider philosophy, a mysterious doctrine 
which was known by the name of the Jewish Cabala. 

"Those who believed in this doctrine, the object of which 
was to unfold the secrets of the divine nature, as well as of 
the creation, wrapped themselves up in silence and mystery 
like initiates in the Indian temples. At distant intervals, 
says the illustrious Franck, in his admirable book upon this 
mystic philosophy, with innumerable precautions, they partly 
opened the doors of the sanctuary to some new adept, who 
was always chosen among those particularly eminent for 
their intellectual ability, and whose advanced age offered an 
additional proof o>f their wisdom and discretion. 

"When a new candidate was initiated into the mysteries 
of the Cabala, one of the elders murmured in his ears the 
following words : 

" 'O thou who hast gone to the fountain-head of all the 
graces, be careful, whenever tempted to do so, not to reveal 
the tenet of emanation, which is a great mystery in the judg- 
ment of all Cabalists. Another mystery is contained in the 
following words : 'Thou shalt not tempt the Lord.' 

"The necessity of a special initiation, an essential pre- 
requisite of which was that the candidate should be far ad- 
vanced toward the close of life, and the absolute secrecy 
which the person initiated was expected to preserve with 
regard to whatever was revealed to him, were two points 
of external discipline, in respect to which those who held to 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 369 

the doctrine of the Pitris in India, and the believers in the 
Jewish Cabala were very nearly agreed, though in matters of 
belief, we shall soon see they were united by ties that bound 
them still closer to each other. In all times science has anx- 
iously sought to discover the origin of the philosophical 
system of the Hebrews, which presents many points of re- 
semblance with some of the Greek systems of Alexandria 
and with the mystical beliefs of Arabia. 

"As the Cabala is manifestly older than the Alexandrian 
school, it cannot be successfully held to have sprung from the 
latter, though it may have been influenced by it to some 
extent. The most that can be claimed is that both systems 
have drunk from the same source. As for the close con- 
nection that seems to exist between it and the mystical phi- 
losophy of the Arabs we may well ask, with Messrs. Franck 
and Tholuck, who have investigated the subject in all its 
bearings, 'What conclusions are we to draw from these many 
points of resemblance? 

"They are not of much importance, it is true, for what 
is similar in both systems is to be found elsewhere in more 
ancient systems. In the books of the Sabeans and Persians, 
for instance, and also among the Neo^-Platonists. On the 
other hand, the extraordinary form under which these ideas 
are presented to us in the Cabala, is unlike that of the Arab 
mystics. In order to satisfy ourselves that the Cabala really 
sprang from intercourse with the latter, we should find 
among them some traces of the doctrine of the Zephiroth. 
But not a vestige of it is to be met with. They knew of but 
one form under which God reveals himself to himself. In 



370 THE REALITY AND 

this respect the Cabala is much more like the doctrine of the 
Sabeans and Gnostics. 

"No trace, either, is to be found among the Arabs of the 
doctrine of metempsychosis, whuch occupies such a promi- 
nent position in the Hebrew system. We also search their 
books in vain for the allegories we are , constantly meeting 
with in the Zohar, for those continual appeals to tradition, 
for those daring and multitudinous personifications with 
their endless genealogies, and for those astonishing and ex- 
traordinary metaphors which harmonize so well with the 
spirit of the East. 

• "These multitudinous incarnations and interminable ge- 
nealogies, or, in other words, these men elevating themselves 
to the infinite by the improvement of their spiritual nature; 
this belief in the doctrine of metempsychosis, and the tenet 
relating to the ten Zephiroth, or the creative faculty of the 
divinity; such are the recognized bases of the Cabalistic 
philosophy. 

"We have seen that the belief in the doctrine of the Pitris 
is based on similar principles. The ten Zephiroth of the 
Hebrews are substantially the same as the ten Pradjapatis 
of India, to whom all creatures are indebted for their ex- 
istence. 

"The Zohar, which is the principal work of the Cabala, 
speaking of the philosophical system therein taught, says 
that it is precisely the same as the wisdom which the children 
of the East have known from the earliest times. 

" 'Evidently/ says Franck, 'this cannot refer to the 
Arabs, whom the Hebrew writers invariably call the chil- 
dren of Israel, or the children of Arabia: they would not 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 371 

speak of a foreign and contemporaneous philosophy in such 
terms — the Zohar would not date it back from the earliest 
ages of the world.' 

"While the origin of the Cabala cannot be successfully- 
sought for either in the different systems of Greece or in 
the doctrines of the Alexandrian school, notwithstanding 
they have many points in common, or in the mystical phi- 
losophy of the Arabs ; while, on the other hand, the Zohar, 
tracing it back to the earliest ages, speaks of it as having the 
East for its cradle; have we not good reason, therefore, in 
view of the antiquity of India and the similarity in principle 
of both systems, to say that the doctrine of the Cabala sprang 
from the doctrine of the Pitris ? 

"We should not forget that India, that immense and lu- 
minous centre in olden times, besides spreading its ideas 
throughout the East, by means of emigration, from the 
earliest times was in constant communication with all the 
people of Asia, and that all the philosophies and sages of 
antiquity went there to study the science of life. It is not, 
therefore, surprising that in periods of their captivity the 
elders of the Hebrews should have been initiated by the 
Persian Magi into the old conceptions of the Brahmins." 
(Ibid., pp. 159, 160, 161, 162.) 

The pernicious course of the Jewish priesthood in imitat- 
ing the example of the priests of India, Persia, Chaldea,, 
Egypt, etc., by descending to spiritualism, brought upon 
them the just judgments of God; and the Cabala and its 
practices were completely stamped out and to-day nothing 
of the kind exists in Jewish theology. 

But, because the priests were made the custodians of the 



^72 



THE REALITY AND 



Scriptures, their descent to spiritualism leads many to be- 
lieve that the Cabala was the legitimate outgrowth of the 
teachings of the Hebrew Scriptures; and at the same time 
strengthens the erroneous belief that the Old Testament is 
simply a compilation of old legends and traditions which 
were current among the ancients. Toi this extent, the evil 
influences of the Cabala have survived to our day. The 
statements of Mr. Jacolliot goes far to sustain our position 
that at certain periods in their history, spiritualism existed in 
all the great nations of antiquity in perhaps as systematized 
a form as it did in India. 

We must look far beyond India for the origin of this 
baleful practice; and when we realize that this deceptive 
belief has not only, in every instance, either reduced the de- 
scendants of highly intellectual and cultured nations to bar- 
barism and savagery, or has actually destroyed them, we 
should readily see where spiritualism will lead us. 

The growth of so-called modern spiritualism in Europe 
:and America only serves to show how rapidly this per- 
nicious teaching spreads, and how easily and yet apparently 
^unconsciously nations enter upon their decline, while pro- 
claiming their advancement. This is its greatest evil, its de- 
ceptiveness; for, while spiritualism pretends to elevate and 
refine, in reality its teachings demoralize and degrade. It 
is not confined to the ignorant and superstitious, but is found 
In all grades and classes of society; from the ignoramus to 
the scientist ; from the laborer in the street to the queen upon 
the throne ; the atheist, the infidel and the church, all, all con- 
tribute to swell the ranks of spiritualism. But strange to say, 
it is from the church that spiritualism draws its greatest fol- 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 373: 

lowing. The reason for this is easily explained. For ex- 
ample : a first-class medium, either in the pursuit of business 
or pleasure, or perhaps actuated solely by a desire to prose- 
lyte, drops into a community which knows little or nothing of 
spiritualism. The medium immediately begins forming ac- 
quaintances among church people, and in exchanging views 
on our final destiny, takes issue with the idea that at death 
the "spirit or soul" enters either heaven, hell, or purgatory ; 
and offers to prove, if they will form a "circle," that these 
are places created by the imagination, and have no actual 
existence. Thus the first seance is opened in the home of at 
strictly orthodox church member, with the only spiritualist in 
the community present — the medium. And as in those an- 
cient times the spirit of Samuel responded to the evocations, 
of the woman of Endor, so the departed minds or spirits 
of the friends and relatives of this little circle respond to the- 
call of the medium of our day. And the spirits thus evoked 
hasten to assure their anxious inquirers that they are not: 
dead but living; that there is no orthodox hell, or orthodox 
heaven, or Catholic purgatory ; but that their world is some- 
thing like our own; and like our own subjected to certain 
laws ; that spirits are frequently about us anxiously waiting 
an opportunity to communicate; that "there is only a thin veil 
between" our world and the world of spirits, and while we do 
not see them, they can see us. 

As might be expected, these staid church people, to put 
it lightly, are surprised at this their first peep into spirit man- 
ifestations. And while much of their prejudice is gone, they 
still are cautious and throw additional safe-guards around 
future seances; but always with the same result — 



374 THE REALITY AND 

spirit communications continue to pour in. From time to 
time the circle is enlarged and arrangements made for regular 
sittings at the home of one of the members of the circle. In 
a short time home mediums are developed and now through 
their friends they receive spirit communications. This re- 
moves the last lingering doubt; they renounce the old re- 
ligion and proclaim themselves spiritualists. This noxious 
growth spreads with greater or less rapidity to other sec- 
tions, and like a cancer feeds upon the body of the church. 
Once convinced of the authenticity, once convinced of the 
truth of these communications and the church has lost and 
spiritualism has gained in following. Some more conserva- 
tive or more timid still conform to the outward demands of 
the church, although in their hearts they are really spirit- 
ualists. Thus, spirit manifestations shatter our most sacred 
and cherished beliefs. Not because Christianity is wholly 
wrong and Spiritualism wholly right; but because we have 
fallen into the error of recognizing the identity of spirit 
tnind and soul. Once admit the identity of spirit mind 
and soul and we are powerless to combat spiritualism. 
Let us renounce our errors and instead accept the plain 
teachings of the Bible that spirit and mind are identical, but 
that spirit and soul are distinct ; that the soul only is capable 
of immortality; that the mind or spirit survives physical 
dissolution in an intermediate state, until the end of time, 
when it perishes and the soul is released to appear at the 
judgment; let us accept these truths and we wrench from 
spiritualism its most potent, its only weapon against the 
church. 

The above illustration explains the phenomenal growth 



EVIL OF SPIRITUALISM. 375 

of spiritualism in Europe and America in the last half cen- 
tury until to-day it numbers its followers by the millions. 
At this rate of increase what will its following be in the next 
century? And what will be the effect of this upon the 
church ? 

It is easy to see that it is simply a question of time when 
this baleful belief will sweep every church out of existence; 
and its acceptance in Europe and America will be as uni- 
versal as it was in Chaldea and Egypt, or as it is in India 
to-day. 

This should arouse us to a realization of our danger and 
the dire calamity that threatens us and ours in the not dis- 
tant future. It should arouse us to a sense of our folly in 
attempting to combat the reality of spirit communications 
with a simple denial of its truth, and with ridicule of its 
claims. 

It is the height of criminality on our part to sit supinely 
by until spiritualism has forced the universal recognition of 
its claims. Not only our love for God and our reverence for 
His Word, but our duty to ourselves and our posterity, 
demand that we unite in a determined effort to stamp out 
this deceptive, pernicious belief. We should not only attack 
it in its strongholds, but we should so educate our people in 
every section as to enable them to successfully repel the 
further advance of spiritualism. 

The course to be pursued in the accomplishment of this 
great end is plain and simple. We must accept the Bible in 
its entirety. Christianity must stamp spiritualism out of 
Europe and America as God stamped it out of Israel. But in 
attempting this, we must not underestimate the magnitude 



376 



THE REALITY AND 



of our task, nor the strength of our foes. We should recog- 
nize the fact, that just as God was confronted with a power- 
ful organization — the Cabala, with its immense following — 
so are we confronted with a national organization under 
the leadership of some of the brightest intellects of our day. 
In this great conflict which must surely come, if we are to 
escape the fate which spiritualism brought upon tjie nations 
of antiquity, we must follow the example set by the inspired 
authors and the Savior himself, and recognize and treat spir- 
itualism as a Reality and an Evil. 



[THE End.] 



APPENDIX. 



APPENDIX 



Adams, John, - - - - - - - - - - 246 

Adams, John Quincy, -.____-_- 246 

Agassiz, Prof., ---------- 101 

Ambler, 167, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 181, 182, 183, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201 

202, 203, 204, 262. 
Automatic, or Spirit Writings, ------ 251, 252 

Ball, Sir Robert, --____--_ 68 

Barrande, ----------- 95 

Blackstone, ___________ 246 

Brehm, ----------- 112 

Burkey, -----------245 

Oarroll, Charles, - - 14, 59, 72, 169, 170, 177, 178, 179, 244, 245 
Dana, James D., ------ 74, 78, 84, 86, 243 

Darwin, - - - - 60, 90, 111, 112, 113, 116, 118, 119, 120, 121 

Davis, Andrew Jackson, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 41, 42 

43, 45, 48, 49, 57, 58, 60, 61, 72, 76, 83, 86, 103, 106, 107, 146, 147 

148, 150, 151, 152, 153, 163, 164, 165, 166, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187 

188, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193, 207, 208, 209, 210, 211, 235, 239, 240 

241, 242, 246, 263, 264, 281, 282, 283. 
Davis, Jefferson, - - - - - ___ - 246 

Dawley, Mrs. Julia A., - - - - - - 320, 321, 322, 323 

Dawson, Prof., ------- 58, 59, 99, 100, 244 

Desor, - . - - - - - - - - - - 116 

Dexter, Dr., - - - - - - - 204, 205, 206, 232, 233 

Doerrie, Dr. Charles, _______ 114, 115 

Dupart, Prof. G. M., - - - - - - - - - 119 

Duvancel, ----------- 112 

Edmonds, Judge, 157, 166, 167, 171, 172, 204, 205, 206, 232, 233, 234, 235 

239, 247, 248, 249, 250, 253, 254, 255, 256, 257, 258, 259, 260, 265 

266, 267, 268, 288. 

Falkenstein, 123 

Oladstone, _.._ 246 

3?y 



380 APPENDIX. 

Globe -Democrat, -_--,.__-- 131 

Grandepre, Captain, - - - - - - - - - 126 

Grotins, ....__ 246 

Gunning, 75, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83 

Guyot, 63, 64, 65, 243 

Haeckel, Prof., 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 48 

Hartmann, - 123, 124, 125, 126 

Henslow, Prof., 56 

Herschel, - 64, 149 

Holcombe, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220, 249, 250, 251 
268, 269, 270, 271, 272, 273, 274, 275, 276, 277. 

Hudson, 128,129,130,167,168,291 

Hudson, Wm., - - - 313, 314, 315, 316 

Hull, Moses, 230, 262, 263, 283, 284, 290 

Huxley, Thomas H., 71, 107, 108 

Hystop, J. H., 307, 308, 309, 310, 311, 312, 313 

Jacolliot, 277, 291, 292, 293, 294, 295, 296, 297, 298, 299, 300, 301, 302 
303, 304, 305, 306, 330, 331, 332, 333, 334, 335, 336, 337, 338, 339 
340, 341, 342, 343, 344, 345, 346, 347, 348, 349, 350, 351, 352, 353 
354, 355, 356, 357, 358, 359, 360, 361, 362, 363, 366, 367, 368, 369- 
370, 371. 

Josephus, 144, 168- 

Kammer, Dr., 113, 114 

Kelvin, Lord, ---------- 56 

Kent, 246 

Kinns, Prof., - - - 126, 127 

Kircher, Fr. Athanasius, ------- 131, 134 

Klutz, D. L. M., 115, 116 

Leibnitz, ----------- 119 

Lincoln. Abraham, --------- 246 

Lindecrantz, ---------- 132 

Lubbock, Sir John, - - - -■ - - - 22 

Mangus, Albertus, - - - - - - - - - 52, 53 

Mailaurin, _-__--__-- 127 

Marshall, .._ 246 

Maury, Commodore M. F., - - - - - - 245 

Maxwell, Prof., ------- 29, 50, 51, 52, 149 

Mesmer, ----------- 130 

Michelet, - 119> 

Mivart - - - 92, 93, 94, 95, 97 

Montesquien, ---------- 246 

O'Connor, Edward, - 316,317,318 

Orton, ------ 253 



APPENDIX. 381 

Patterson, Dr., - 49, 50, 65, 66, 67, 68, 75, 96, 100, 101, 102, 104, 105 
Pierce, Benjamin, --------- 244 

Pitt, ------ 245 

Post -Dispatch, -------- 114, 115, 116, 120 

Proctor, Richard, - - - - 68, 69 

Reed, Christopher, - - - - - - - 326, 327, 328, 329 

Rengger, ----------- m 

Kothermel, Dr., -------- 319, 320 

Schrenter, Daniel, - - - - - - - - 131 

Selden, ----------- 246 

Sillman, Prof., ----- 244 

Sixtus, Carl, - - - - - - - - 131, 132, 133, 134 

Smith, Uriah, --------- 252, 253 

Somers, ----------- 246 

Star (St. Louis), --------- 56 

Story, .._-_-----. 246 

Swedenborg, - - - - - - - - - 168 

Townsend, --------- 132, 133 

Tuttle, Hudson, ------ 48, 111, 156, 157, 289 

Tyndall, Prof., - - - - - - - - - - 69, 70 

Universal Dictionary, - - - - - - - 60,149 

Washington, - - - - - - - - - 245 

Webster. Daniel, -------- 246 

Weekly Constitution, ------- 122 

Weisse, Dr., -- 253 

Whiston, Wm., -------- 168 

Wilcox, Ella Wheeler, - 162 

Winchell, - - - - - 46, 47, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 95, 96 

Worcester Dictionary, ------- 90 



BIBLE AUTHORITIES CITED. 



OLD TESTAMENT. 



Genesis, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 83, 110, 136, 137, 138 

Exodus, ---------- 138, 142 

Leviticus, - - - - - - -- - - 287 

Deuteronomy, -------- 139, 286, 287 

1 Samuel, .-------- 140, 194, 285, 287 

1 King, --_---- 142, 287 

Chronicles, _________ 139 

Job, ----------- 137, 142 

Psalms, --------- 138, 142. 225 

Proverbs, --------- 138, 139, 225 

Ecclesiastes, --------- 142, 145 

Isaiab, __________ 225 

Ezekiel, ---------- 223 

Daniel, --------- 139,141,143- 

NEW TESTAMENT. 

St. Mathew, - - - - - - - 139, 159, 160, 225 

St. Mark, - - - - - - - - - 144, 161, 261 

St. Luke, --------- 161, 225, 243 

St. John, ----- 140, 160, 161, 221, 225. 261, 286 

The Acts, ------- 139, 140, 277 

Romans, --------- 159, 161, 224 

1 Corinthians, ------ 137, 139, 158, 193, 225 

2 Corinthians, ---__-.--- 140 
Philippians, - - - - - - - - - 137 

1 Thessalonians, --------- 144 

1 Timothy, ____---_- 159 

Titus, ---------- 162 

Hebrews, ---------- 144 

James, _-__---_-- 244 

1 Peter, - 145, 161, 221 

Uohn, - - - 137,140 

Revelation, - 227 



NOV IS 1903 






